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SOME OF THE FAMILIAR BIRDS OF INDIA. 467 
learn what crime the prisoner had committed, but, judging from 
the punishment he received, it must have been very great. When 
the punishment had been inflicted and justice maintained, the 
prisoner was released. After standing quietly for a moment he 
flew away, and was probably ever afterward “a sadder and wiser” 
crow. The court also adjourned, and the assembly broke up. 
It is often mentioned of this crow that it roosts in company, in 
vast numbers, assembling for that purpose from the whole sur- 
rounding country. The late Capt. Beavan says, “At Umballah I 
have observed crows in large numbers flying along the grand-trunk 
toad over twenty miles of an evening, for the sake of roosting in 
the station, returning in the morning the same distance.” There 
are Some large trees in the Collector’s garden at Ahmednuggur which 
Serve as a roosting place for these birds. From before sunset 
‘until dark the crows may be seen in great numbers coming from 
all directions for their night’s lodgings, and in the early morning 
they return again to their various hunting grounds. I will venture 
to say that they are the most industrious collectors of revenue 
that emanate from that place. 
Acridotheres tristis. The common myna. This is one of our 
Most common and familiar birds, and it is rather a favorite, partly 
because of its cheerful and dignified appearance, and partly because 
it has such a great variety of notes; more than once have I heard 
* Strange, unknown song, and on going to my window to discover 
lts source have found only my old friend the myna. Some of its 
notes are not very musical, it is true, but they are always so cheer- 
ful, so rollicking, that it is a pleasure to have it about. There is 
one striking peculiarity about this bird. It has a row of white or 
“ety specks around its red-brown irises. This when seen near 
* mand gives it a singular appearance. So far as I know, none of 
lts allies has this peculiarity. 
; The myna is by no means a timid bird. It is able to stand upon 
” dignity and to defend its rights when occasion requires. Mr. 
k E Speaks of a male in defence of his household treasures, 
e shing after and soundly thrashing any chance crow (four times 
his weight at least) that inadvertently passed too near him.” I 
fi ii Seen a pair of them in front of my window attacking most 
mously a medium sized cobra that came within a few rods of 
st. His snakeship was making the best of his way to a 
ing hedge, when, without waiting for the formality of 
