7 88 



The Sparrow-like Birds 



head, throat, and neck are tipped with buff, but toward summer these wear off 

 into the other plumages; the young birds are light, grayish brown above and 

 buffish white below. Its habits are in general similar to those of other Starlings, 

 it being usually found in large flocks and feeding during summer mainly on 

 insects, but at other times on grain, seeds, and fruit such as that of the mulberry. 

 They are very lively, vivacious birds, always busy and restless, running here 





FIG. 219. Common Indian Myna, Acridotheres tristis. 



and there or quarreling among themselves, and giving voice to their harsh, 

 chattering song. They breed largely in Asia Minor, nesting in vast communities, 

 usually on rocky hillsides, and placing the large, loosely constructed nest on 

 the ground, under stones or even in the open; the three to five eggs are white 

 or bluish white and of course unspotted. 



Mynas. Under the Hindustani name of Myna, which in that language 

 signifies a Starling, there are several rather closely allied genera which are 

 more or less worthy of mention, among them Sturnia, which is characterized by 

 having the bill shorter than the head, slender, and slightly curved, a decidedly 



