STURNINiE. 327 



inky black, paling beneath ; wings black, with the wing-spot ferru- 

 ginous ; tail black, tipped dull ferruginous ; middle of abdomen, 

 of vent, and the under tail-coverts, pale ferruginous. The frontal 

 feathers are slightly erectile, and those on the sides of the head, are 

 directed towards the median line. 



Bill red, yellow at the tip ; nude eye spot reddish ; feet dull 

 yellow. Length 8^ inches; wing 5; tail 3j ;' tarsus 1£; bill at 

 front nearly f . 



The Bank Myna is found throughout Bengal, the Upper Provin- 

 ces, and Sindh, extending into Central India as far as the Nerbudda 

 and the Mahanuddy. I got it at Mhow and Saugor, though rare, 

 and on the banks of the Nerbudda. It is also found in the lower 

 Himalayas, extending, it would appear, into Affghanistan, as Hors- 

 field has one specimen from Griffith, stated to be from Candahar, 

 but it is possible there may be some mistake about this, especially 

 as Adams says that it is not found in the Punjab, nor in the Hima- 

 layas. It also extends into Assam and Burmah. It certainly does 

 not occur in Southern India, notwithstanding its specific name 

 taken from Gingi, south of Madras. It is especially abundant in 

 the Gangetic provinces, not occurring, says Mr. Blyth, so low 

 down the Hooghly as Calcutta, but abounds as soon as the banks 

 of the river become of sufficient height for it to burrow in with 

 tolerable security. It has the usual habits of the group, feeding 

 much with cattle, and partaking alike of insects, grain, and fruit. 

 It breeds in holes in river banks, usually in large societies ; also in 

 holes in wells, as I saw commonly at Ghazeepore and neighbour- 

 ing country ; and lays, according to Theobald, as many as seven 

 or eight eggs of the usual greenish blue colour. 



The next bird has the same bulky form, but no naked space on 

 the face, and the frontal feathers form a short, erect, narrow crest. 



686. Acridotheres fuscus, Waglee. 



Pastor, apud Wagler — Jerdon, Cat. 164— Horsf., Cat. 810 

 — P. Mahrattensis, Sykes, Cat. 114 — A. griseus, apud Blyth, 

 Cat. 577 — Alaina cristatelloides, HoDGS. — Gracula cristatella, 

 apud Sunl>EVAll — Pahari mama, H. — Jhonti maina, II. in 

 Bengal — Jhont salik, Beng. 



