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 THE BURMESE PIED IYIYNA. 



The Pied-Myna is the common little black and white Myna with 

 a conspicuous yellow bill, generally to be seen following cattle. 

 It builds a large untidy nest in the boughs of trees and lays the 

 regular spotless blue eggs. During the breeding season the cock 

 bird is bit of a songster, often imitating the skylark in its song. 

 Burmese nameChwe-zayet. 

 (No. 556. S. superciliaris.) 



THE HILL MYNA, OR INDIAN GRACKLE. 



The " talking-myna" is not a true myna at all, but belongs to a 

 family by itself. It requires very little description as it is the most 

 popular cage bird of the East. Its whole plumage is a glossy blue- 

 black, relieved by a patch of white feathers in its wings; and has a 

 conspicuous yellow bill and wattles or comb on each side of its head. 

 It is a great mimic, and, being easily fed, is in great request as a 

 cage-bird. Nests in holes of trees and lays pale blue eggs spotted 

 with red. Found in all well-wooded jungles and along the foot of 

 the hills. 



Burmese name Kale-gar. 

 (No. 524. Eulabes intermedia.) 



Ill 

 THE BABBLERS. 



We now come to a very large family or group of birds, peculiar 

 to the East, and not found at home, containing most of the small 

 and familiar birds we have out here. Owing to the family not being 

 represented at home, we have no suitable English names to give 

 them, and so, in many, cases have given themtho.e belonging to birds 

 of a totally different family, or have supplied them with new ones 

 taken from their descriptive colouring. These names are, however, 

 unfortunately very cumbersome and misleading, and in many cases 

 would be suitable to more than one speci-es. 



The family is divided up into six groups, three of which are well 

 defined and easily recognisable, the other three being made up of 

 a miscellaneous assortment of birds. 



THE LAUGHING THRUSHES. 



The Laughing Thrushes are birds about the size of an English 

 Song-thru- h, but differ from the true Thrushes in many points ; chiefly 

 in having a remarkably small rounded wing, and large powerful legs 

 and feet. They are both arboreal and terrestial in their habits, and 

 are all gregarious, going about in large parties of their own ard 

 other species. They are more often, heard than seen, though by 



