684 EULABES KELIGIOSA. 



shy bird, having very little fear of a gun-shot ; indeed I have shot several out of the same tree without any 

 member of the little party taking flight. It feeds on various berries and fruits, which it swallows whole. 

 Jerdon testifies to the same local propensity which I have observed to obtain with it in Ceylon ; he says : — " It 

 seems partially distributed, as you may pass through miles of forest without seeing a single specimen. It is 

 generally found in small parties of five or six, frequenting the tops of the loftiest trees, and feeding on fruit 

 and berries of various kinds. I never found that insects had formed any portion of its food. The song of 

 this bird is very rich, varied, and pleasing .... it is not often seen in cages in India; but it is very highly 

 prized both for its powers of song and speed), which are said to surpass those of all other birds in distinctness. 

 It has probably been from erroneous information that this species was named ' rel'ujiosa ' by Linnaeus, as I am 

 not aware of its being considered sacred by the Hindoos." Elsewhere (' Birds of India') be suggests that the 

 great Swedish naturalist probably confounded it with Acridotheres tristis, a bird attired in " sad-coloured " 

 plumage, and was thus led to apply to it its inappropriate title. 



Nidificalion. — The Black Myna was breeding on the Pasdun Korale on the occasion of a visit I made to 

 that part in August; but I did not procure its eggs. It builds in holes made by Barbets and Woodpeckers in 

 soft-wood trees, and is said not to lay its eggs on the bare wood, but to line the bottom of the cavity with 

 masses, roots, feathers, &c. Mr. Bourdillon writes that in Southern India it makes its nest of straw and 

 feathers in a hole a considerable height from the ground. The eggs are described as " very gracefully elon- 

 gated ovals;" the shell is smooth and fine, with a rather faint gloss; ground-colour greenish blue, more or 

 less profusely spotted or "splashed" with purplish, chocolate-brown, and very pale purple. Dimensions 135 

 to 1-37 inch in length by 087 to 0-9 inch in breadth. 



