walk less on the ground, for they live chiefly on fruit. The commonest is the Brahminy Myna (Temenuchus pagodarum), a good name, for it is a high-caste bird. It is smaller than a Starling, but looks more stoutly built, being fuller about the neck and shorter in the tail. Its back and wings are ashy-brown, while the throat, breast, and all the underparts are of a soft, reddish-fawn, or terra-cotta colour. On its head it has a crest of long, narrow, silky black feathers, which lie gracefully on the back of its neck, except when it raises them to express surprise. Its beak is blue at the base and yellow at the point. With this exception there is nothing gaudy about the bird, and you almost need to have it in your hand to know what a beauty it is. The way in which the soft colours pass into each other and are shaded off on the margins of the wings and tail cannot be told in words. The Brahminy Myna is a regular frequenter of the Coral Tree and the Silk-cotton Tree when in flower, and of the Banian and Peepul when in fruit. It is not uncommon in parts of Bombay. It breeds, like its relations, in holes, and lays blue eggs. There are usually some at the Crawford Market, for it is a favourite cage-bird. It has a sweet voice and a little song.
The Grey-headed Myna (Temenuchus malabaricus) is very like the Brahminy, but all its colours are paler and it has no black on the head. Its crest is striped grey and white. I do not think it ever breeds in this part of the country, but in the cold season, or just after the rains, it haunts the Banian trees in little flocks, picking holes in the bright red fruit. It is a quiet bird, and you must look for it if you wish
