CAGE BIRDS 203 



the East Indies all possessing representatives. Of the Glossy 

 Starlings proper, no species is sufficiently common in the 

 market to warrant its inclusion here. But the Hill Mynas 

 (Eulabes), commonly miscalled '' Minors/' are well-known 

 cage birds, and a few words concerning them will not be 

 amiss. Eleven forms of this .genus are recognized, of which 

 three are about equally well known here. All are glossy 

 black in color, with a white patch on the primary feathers 

 of the wing. The heavy bill is orange-yellow. On the nape, 

 at each side, is a horseshoe-shaped flap of skin, yellow in 

 color, with the ends pointing forward. The outer extremity 

 of each flap joins a bare space behind the eye. 



The Lesser Hill Myna (E. religiosa), of southern India 

 and Ceylon, is little larger than the European Blackbird. 

 The lappets are well developed and crinkly, and the bill is 

 comparatively slender. The Greater Hill Myna (E. in- 

 termedia), which ranges from central India to Cochin- 

 China, is larger than the preceding, but does not reach such 

 large proportions as does the Javan Hill Myna (E. java- 

 nensis), of Burma and the Sunda Islands. The best point 

 of distinction between the latter two species lies in the lap- 

 pets, which form something like a right angle with the 

 ear-patches on each side. The third side of this angle is 

 closed with bare skin in the Greater Hill Myna and open 

 in the Javan. These three species, which are readily sepa- 

 rated, are seldom distinguished by dealers. 



All of the Hill Mynas are gifted mimics and young birds 

 often make excellent talkers, enunciating as distinctly as 

 the best parrots. They are not cleanly birds, and the cage 

 should be as large as possible. It is unnecessary to say that 

 they cannot be kept with small birds. Hill Mynas are notori- 

 ous gluttons and their food, which consists of a soft mixture, 

 fruit, berries and insects, must be given in limited quantities. 



