( *7 ) 
The Minor or Mino, Greater and Le/s . 
T Suppofe the above Name may be the Indian Name of this Bird, in the Country 
from whence it is brought. I take it to be near of Kin to the jackdaw, the 
Greater, for Bignefs, equals a Jackdaw or Magpye , the Lelfer hardly exceeds a Black - 
Bird, fo that the one is at lead; twice as big as”the other; they have middling liz’d 
Heads, pretty plump round Bodies, and fhort tails; the Legs of a middling Length; 
the Bill is pretty thick at the Balls; from upper to under Side, but fomething com- 
prelfed Sideways, of a red Colour towards the Head, and a yellow Point in the lef- 
fer Bird, and all over Yellow in the Greater: the Bill ends in. a Point not very fud- 
denly or fharp; the Feathers on each Side point into the Bill as far as the Nolirils;. 
the Eyes are Hazel-colour’d in both; in the hinder-part of the Head in both, are 
two little Flaps of yellow Skin in the Form of Crefcent's with the Points upwards, 
one Corner of each being behind the Eyes, the other Corners uniting in the' hin¬ 
der-part of the Head ; under the Eyes are other yellow bare Spots of Skin, which 
are joined to the before-mention’d, in a manner not eafy to exprefs; but by the 
Figure, I have been more full in this Particular, becaufe Mr. Albin has publilh’d 
this Bird, and fally defcribed thefe Marks, which are the Charadteriliicks, both in 
his Figure and Defcription. I have had Opportunity to examine feveral of thefe 
Birds, tho’ they are very rare: The Head, Neck, whole Body, Wings and Tail, 
are cover’d with black Feathers of a great Luftre, fhining in different Lights with 
blue, green, and purple Glolfes; the Feathers on the hinder-part of the Head, that 
are encompalfed by the bare Flaps of Skin, refemble Hairs or Velvet for their Fine- 
nefs; the Bottoms of fome of the Urit of the Quills are white, which form a white 
Spot in the middle of the Wing; the Legs and Feet are of a yellow Colour inclin¬ 
ing.to Orange in the lelfer Bird, more yellow in the Greater; the Claws light brown; 
the Number and Pofition of the Toes, as in the Figure. 
The lelfer Bird I faw at a Dealer’s in curious Birds, in White-Hart Yard in the 
Strand , London . The Greater, belong’d to the late Dr, George Wharton Treafurer 
of the College of Phyficians y London , who employed me to draw it for his Lady, 
and gave me leave to take a Draught for myfelf. After it died, I open’d it and 
fet up the Skin: I found it to be a Hen Bird. Whether thefe two.Birds fo unequal 
in Size, tho’ fo exadt in Likenefs, be Male and Female of the fame Species, I 
leave to the judgment of the Curious. I find in Willoughby a very brief Account of 
a Bird, which I take to be this, it is Bontins s Indian Stare , Pi 196. fab. 38-. For 
Whittling, Singing and Talking, it is' accounted in the firlF Rank, expreffing 
Words with an Accent nearer Human than Parrots or any other Birds ufually taught 
to talk. They are faid to come from the Illand Borneo , and tis likely they came 
from thence and the adjacent Parts. They are brought to us by the India Com¬ 
pany’s Ships. See Mr. Albiris Figure, in his Hi/lory of Birds , Voh 2, Plate 38. 
The 
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