Birds of the Indian Hills 



THE STURNID^ OR STARLING FAMILY 



The Himalayan starling {Sturnus humii) is 

 so like his European brother in appearance that 

 it is scarcely possible to distinguish between 

 the two species unless they are seen side by 

 side. Is it necessary to describe the starling ? 

 Does an Englishman exist who is not well 

 acquainted with the vivacious bird which makes 

 itself at home in his garden or on his house- 

 top in England ? We have all admired its 

 dark plumage, which displays a green or bronze 

 sheen in the sunlight, and which is so curiously 

 spotted with buff. 



The Himalayan species is, I think, common 

 only in the more westerly parts of the hills. 



The common myna {Acridotheres tristis) is 

 nearly as abundant in the hills as it is in the 

 plains. I should not have deemed it necessary 

 to describe this bird, had not a lady asked me 

 a few days ago whether a pair of mynas, which 

 were fighting as only mynas can fight, were 

 seven sisters. 



The myna is a bird considerably smaller than 



a crow. His head, neck, and upper breast are 



black, while the rest of his plumage is quaker 



brown, save for a broad white wing-bar, very 



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