XXXV 

 THE BANK MYNA 



THE bank myna (Acridotheres ginginianus) , 

 like the Indian corby {Corvus macrorhynchus) , 

 is a bird that has suffered neglect at the hands 

 of those who write about the feathered folk. 

 The reason of this neglect is obvious. Even as 

 the house crow {Corvus splendens) overshadows the 

 corby, so does the common myna (Acridotheres tristis) 

 almost ecUpse the bank myna. So familiar is the 

 myna that all books on Indian birds deal very fully 

 with him. They discourse at length upon his char- 

 acter and his habits, and then proceed to dismiss 

 the bank m5ma with the remark that his habits are 

 those of his cousin. 



The bank myna is a myna every inch of him. He 

 is a chip of the old block ; there is no mistaking him 

 for anything but what he is. So like to his cousin 

 is he that when I first set eyes upon him I took him 

 for a common myna freak. And I still beheve I was 

 not greatly mistaken. I submit that the species arose 

 as a mutation from A. tristis. 



Once upon a time a pair of common mynas must 

 have had cause to shake their heads gravely over 



Q 22S 



