684 
EULABES EELIGIOSA. 
sliy bird, baving 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 sis, 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 speecsh, which are said to surpass those of all other birds in distinctness. 
It has probably been from erroneous information that this species was named ‘ religiosa ’ by Linnaeus, as I am 
not aware of its being considered sacred by the Hindoos.” Elsewhere (' Birds of India’) he suggests that the 
great Swedish naturalist probably confounded it with Acridotheres trisiis, a bird attired in “ sad-coloured ” 
plumage, and was thus led to apply to it its inappropriate title. 
Nidification . — 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 
grasses, 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 piu’plish, chocolate-brown, and very pale purple. Dimensions 1'35 
to 1‘37 inch in length by 0'87 to 0'9 inch in breadth. 
