Sherman — Birds by the Wayside 353 



her. On another occasion a Kite tried to snatch from her 

 hand a paper bag containing food. Having read similar 

 stories I was led to inquire of my guides and other people if 

 these were common experiences, and learned that they were, 

 except that often the Kite left a painful scratch. 



A pair of Kites was watched while building their nest in 

 1 neem tree that stood in the hotel yard in Jaipur. The work 

 proceeded very slowly. The twigs were carried sometimes 

 in the bill, sometimes by a claw ; once the bird took up the 

 twig by its bill, then shifted it to a foot. Bill and claw were 

 used about equally in the carrying. It was at Delhi that 

 Kites were observed when going to roost in the top of a pee- 

 pul tree. They perched among the topmost limbs on the 

 highest twigs, and when the coming and going ceased, there 

 remained for the night thirty-seven of these birds. The Kite 

 equals, if it does not surpass, our Red-tailed Hawk in length ; 

 in weight it must be very light for such small boughs to sup- 

 port :so many of them. 



The Common Myna resembles in size and build the Star- 

 ling, but has the street habits of the English Sparrow, yet 

 in some of its country habits it is like the Starling, especially 

 in its fondness for the neighborhood' of cattle and for perch- 

 ing on the'r backs. It has 'a fine appearance, produced by 

 plumage that is black on head, neck and throat, and iridescent 

 vinaceous on breast and belly. When in flight it is easily 

 recognized by the white patches on the wings, and the white 

 in the tail. These spots of white serve to distinguish it from 

 its cousin the Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus) on 

 which the wing patches are pinkish buff, as is also the tip of 

 the tail. In the latter species the skin around the eye is brick- 

 red, while in the Common Myna it is yellow. The Black- 

 headed Myna {TememicJuis pagodarum) is known as the 

 Brahminy Myna because of its elegant appearance and the 

 distinguished air imparted by its long black crest, and the 

 elongated feathers of its neck, throat, and breast, which in 

 color resemble the breast of our female Robin. Th's species 

 was seen several times in a free state, also frequently in cap- 



