392 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
the chin and throat green tinged with blue ; wings and tail blackish brown 
without gloss ; the first six primaries (not counting the minute bastard 
one) with a patch of white on the inner webs^ and the second to the seventh 
also with a white patch on the outer webs. 
Bill coral-red, yellow at the tip ; mouth flesh-colour ; iris brown ; wattles 
and naked skin of the head yellow, tinged with orange on the sides of the 
head ; the corner near the eye faintly tinged with blue ; legs yellow ; claws 
yellowish horn- colour. 
Length 11*6 inches, tail 3'3, wing 6*4, tarsus 1*35, bill from gape 1'5. 
The female is rather smaller. 
The Burmese Talking-Mynah appears to be found over the whole of 
British Burmah, alike in the hills and plains, in all well-wooded localities. 
Mr. Davison, however, states that it is not met with on the higher hills 
of Tenasserim ; and Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay does not notice it from 
Karennee. 
This species occurs in the hill-tracts of Eastern Bengal, along the foot 
of the Himalayas as far as Kumaon, and in parts of the Central Provinces ; 
also in the Andaman Islands. It will probably be found in the Indo- 
Burmese countries. 
To the south it ranges down the Malay peninsula for some distance ; but 
how far I am unable to say, as it has been confounded with the next 
species. Mr. Blyth states that it inhabits Siam ; and Dr. Tiraud, Cochin 
China; but as the latter unites this species with G. javanensis, it is 
impossible to say which of the two it is that really inhabits Cochin 
China. 
There are two species of Gracula given by Mr. Swinhoe from China, 
G. hainana and G. sinensis ; but I have not been able to examine specimens 
of them. Judging from the descriptions only, they do not appear to be 
more than local varieties of G. intermedia. 
The Talking-Mynahs frequent tree-jungles, and they are generally found 
in small companies. They feed entirely on fruits, never descending to the 
ground. Their natural notes are varied ; some are pleasant, others very 
harsh ; and they are always very noisy. They are favourite cage-birds ; and ^ 
few parrots even excel them in the facility for learning words and sentences. 
Their tameness, their glossy plumage, and the fondness they exhibit 
towards their owners endear them alike to Europeans and natives, and 
birds which have been well educated are almost priceless. 
Capt. Bingham found the nest of this Mynah in Tenasserim in April. 
It consisted of a little grass and a few twigs, and was placed in the hollow 
of a stump of a broken branch. It contained three young birds and one 
egg, this latter being light blue spotted with purplish brown. 
