332 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



all the tertiaries also grey ; quills black, grey tipped ; central tail- 

 feathers dark grey, blackish at the base, the outer feathers deep 

 ferruginous brown, dusky towards the base. 



Bill blue at base, greenish in centre, yellow at the tip ; irides 

 greyish white ; legs reddish yellow ; claws pale yellow. Length 

 8tt inches ; wing 4 T 2 TJ ; tail 3 ; bill at front t 7 q ; tarsus 1 . 



This pretty Myna is only found in the Malabar forests, both near 

 the level of the sea, and up to a level of 2,000 feet or so in the 

 Wynaad and the slopes of the Ghats. It is found from the extreme 

 south of the Malabar coast to about North Lat. 15° or 16°. It 

 is entirely arboreal, living in small flocks, and keeping to the tops 

 of high trees, feeding on various insects and larvae, small shells 

 (Bulimi), and occasionally on fruit. Its usual cry is neither so loud 

 nor so harsh as that of the Mynas in general, and it has a very 

 pleasing song. Its nails are well curved, and it climbs about 

 the trunk and branches of trees with great facility. It is said 

 to nidificate in holes of trees. 



Other species of Temenuchus from neighbouring countries are 

 T. erythropygia, BL, from the Nicobars ; and a nearly related 

 race from Burmah, T. nemoricolus, Jerdon. T. sericeus, Latham, 

 from China, by its larger and straighter, bill somewhat approximates 

 the Starlings; and T. burmannic us, Jerdon (Ibis, vol.4), is a nearly 

 allied species from Pegu. This last bird feeds much on the ground 

 like the true Mynas, and perhaps, with sericeus, ought to form a 

 separate section. Both have red beaks. T. sinensis, Gmel., 

 (elegans, Lesson,) approaches Calomis. Layard (Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. 1854) has Sturnia albofrontata, from Ceylon. Bonaparte 

 has Pastor senex, Temin., from Bengal, perhaps the same as' 

 Blyth's erythropygia, or, as Layard suggests, with his species 

 quoted above. 



Gen. Pastor, Ternm. 

 Char. — Bill short, compressed, curving from the base, very 

 slightly hooked at the tip ; gonys straight ; nostrils partially 

 concealed by fine frontal plumes ; wings long, pointed ; 1st quill 

 longest, 2nd sub-equal, 3rd a little shorter; tail nearly even; 

 tarsus rather short ; lateral toes slightly unequal ; head adorned 

 with a long pendent, occipital crest. 



