46 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



like the Crow and Sparrow, and it is perhaps for this 

 reason that he is so generally popular. Besides, he is a 

 nice bird to look at. His brown plumage, set of by a 

 black head and a white band on the wings and a white 

 tip to the tail, looks very neat and his yellow face, bill 

 and feet, relieve the whole from dinginess. The name 

 ' Tristis' or "dull," was given to him by Linnaeus, who 

 thought he was a shabby kind of Bird-of-paradise. Young 

 birds may be distinguished by having the head very dull- 

 black instead of glossy-jet, and the bare skin of the face 

 dull-white instead of bright-yellow. This is a large bird 

 for a Mynah, being about ten inches long with stout legs 

 and large feet, but a decidedly short bill. It has much 

 courage and will attack and rout a Crow fearlessly. The 

 cocks also fight fiercely in the nesting -season, rolling 

 about on the ground locked in each other's claws, while 

 the hens look on as seconds. The Mynah, like all Star- 

 lings, is very ludicrous in his behaviour when singing, 

 erecting his head plumage and bowing at intervals in a 

 clownish way, which strongly contrasts with his very self- 

 possessed manner on ordinary occasions. 



His natural notes are rather a mixture of music and 

 mere noise, but in captivity a nest-reared bird often 

 becomes a really good talker. My friend, Mr. F. Groser, 

 of Alipore, has one now, which speaks better than most 

 parrots, and far more readily. 



A hand-reared Mynah may be safely allowed full 

 liberty so that if a talker be wanted it is as well to 

 get several young birds, and cage them separately, 

 when the best can be selected, and the others let out 



