324 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



The Pied Starling Is more abundant in the Northern Circars 

 than anywhere else where I have seen it. It here associates 

 in vast flocks of many hundreds, feeding among cattle. In general, 

 it is only found in smaU parties. It feeds like the others on grain 

 fruit, and insects. It is a familiar bird, feeding close to 

 houses, and breeding on trees near houses, sometimes, as at Saugor, 

 in the midst of the town ; though as Mr. Blyth says, "it does not 

 venture into the streets in Calcutta." It makes a large nest of 

 sticks, grasses, and feathers, usually about 8 or 10 feet from the 

 oround, and lays three or four eggs of a clear greenish blue. It 

 breeds from April to June or July, according to the locality. 

 It is very often taken young and caged ; has a pleasant song, and 

 is a great imitator of other birds. 



Tytler observed a caged specimen of a uniform black colour 

 which he believed to be a distinct race, and named St. Moorii, but 

 Mr. Blyth, I know, did not consider it distinct. Birds from 

 Assam, Burmah, and the eastwards generally, differ slightly from 

 Indian birds by a distinct white supercilium, and some streaks 

 of white on the forehead ; this race has been named 5. super- 

 ciliaris, Blyth, J. A. S., 1863. It however should be compared 

 with Pastor jalla of the Malayan region. Pastor tricolor, Horsf. 

 {melanoptera, Dandin), from Java; P. temporalis, Wagler, from 

 China, and, perhaps, Sturnus cineraceus, Temm., from Japan, 

 belong to this genus. P. temporalis, like S. contra, builds a large 

 round nest on high trees ; and the Japanese bird is aberrant, 

 grading towards Temenuchus. 



We next come to the true Mvnas, which have a rather shorter 

 bill, slightly curved on the culmen, and a dull or slightly glossed 

 plumage. The first group comprises the typical Mynas, a form 

 peculiarly characteristic of the Indian province. They are birds of 

 somewhat massive form and dull plumage, and feed chiefly on the 

 ground, often associating with cattle. They prefer insect food, but 

 will also eat grain, and, indeed, are almost as omnivorous as the Crows 



Gen. Acridotheres, Vieillot. 

 Syn. Gracala, Cuvier. 



Char. — Bill rather short, stout, compressed ; culmen gently 

 curving and deflected ; gonys slightly sloping upwards ; nostrils 



