Acridotheres tristis (_Linn.), Jerd. B. Ind._ ii, p. 325; _Hume, Rough
Draft N. & E._ no. 684.
The Common Myna breeds throughout the Indian Empire, alike in the
plains and in the hills. A pair breed yearly in the roof of my
verandah at Simla, at an elevation of 7800 feet.
They are very domestic birds, and greatly affect the habitations of
man and their immediate neighbourhood. They build in roofs of houses,
holes in walls, trees, and even old wells, in the earthen chatties
that in some parts the natives hang out for their use (as the
Americans hang boxes for the Purple Martin), and, though _very_
rarely, once in a way _on_ the branches of trees.
Captain Hutton says:--"This is a summer visitor in the hills, and
arrives at Mussoorie with the _A. fuscus_, Wagl. It builds in the
hole of a tree, which is lined with dry grass and feathers, and on
no occasion have I _ever_ seen a nest made on the branches of a tree
composed of twigs and grass as stated by Captain Tickell."
But in this instance Captain Tickell may have been right, for I
have once seen such a nest myself, and Mr. H.M. Adam writes:--"Near
Sambhur, on the 7th July, I saw a pair of this species building a
large cup-shaped nest in a babool tree;" while Colonel G.F.L. Marshall
affirms that this species "_frequently_ lays in cup-shaped nests of
sticks placed in trees, like small Crows' nests." And he subsequently
writes:--"I can distinctly reaffirm, what I said as to this species
building a nest in the fork of a tree. In the compound of Kalunder
gari choki, in the Bolundshahr district, I found no less than five of
these nests on one day; the compound is densely planted with sheeshum
trees, which were there about twenty feet high, and the nests were
near the tops of these trees. I found several other similar nests on
the canal-bank, one with young on the 11th September."
Also writing in this connection from Allahabad, Major C.T. Bingham
says:--
"Twice I have found the nest of this bird in trees, but it generally
builds in holes, both in trees and walls, and commonly in the thatch
of houses. Once I got a couple of eggs from a nest made amidst a
thick-growing creeper."
Neglecting exceptional cases like these, the nest is a shapeless but
warm lining to the hole, composed chiefly of straw and feathers, but
in which fine twigs, bits of cotton, strips of rags, bits of old rope,
and all kinds of odds and ends may at times be found incorporated.
The normal breeding-season lasts from June to August, during which
period they rear two broods; but in Ross Island (Andamans), where they
were introduced some years ago, they seem to breed _all-through_
the year. Captain Wimberley, who sent me some of their eggs thence,
remarks:--"The bird is now very common here. As soon as it has cleared
out one young brood, it commences building and laying again. This
continues all the year round."
I think this great prolificness may be connected with the uniformly
warm temperature of these islands and the great heat of the sun there
all through the year rendering much incubation unnecessary. Even in
the plains of Northern India in the hot weather when they breed these
birds do not sit close, and since at the Andamans the weather is such
all the year round that the eggs almost hatch themselves this may be
partly the reason why these birds have so many more broods there than
with us, where, for at least half the year, constant incubation would
be necessary. I particularly noticed when at Bareilly how very little
trouble these Mynas sometimes took in hatching their eggs, and I may
quote what I then recorded about the matter:--
"In a nest in the wall of our verandah we found four young ones. This
was particularly noteworthy, because from my study-window the pair had
been watched for the last month, first courting, then flitting in and
out of the hole with straws and feathers, ever and anon clinging to
the mouth of the aperture, and laboriously dislodging some projecting
point of mortar; then marching up and down on the ground, the male
screeching out his harsh love-song, bowing and swelling out his throat
all the while, and then rushing after and soundly thrashing any chance
Crow (four times his weight at least) that inadvertently passed too
near him; never during the whole time had either bird been long
absent, and both had been seen together daily at all hours. I made
certain that they had not even begun to sit, and behold there were
four fine young ones a full week old chirping in the nest! Clearly
these birds are not close sitters down here; but I well remember a
pair at Mussoorie, some 6000 feet above the level of the sea, the most
exemplary parents, one or other being on the eggs at all hours of the
day and night. The morning's sun beats full upon the wall in the inner
side of which the entrance to the nest is; the nest itself is within 4
inches of the exterior surface; at 11 o'clock the thermometer gave 98°
as its temperature. I have often observed in the river Terns (_Seena
aurantia, Rhynchops albicollis, Sterna javanica_) and Pratincoles
(_Glareola lactea_) who lay their eggs in the bare white glittering
river-sands, that so long as the sun is high and the sand hot they
rarely sit _upon_ their eggs, though one or other of the parents
constantly remains beside or hovering near and over them, but in the
early morning, in somewhat cold and cloudy days, and as the night
draws on, they are all close sitters. I suspect that instinct teaches
the birds that, when the natural temperature of the nest reaches a
certain point, any addition of their body-heat is unnecessary, and
this may explain why during the hot days (when we alone noticed them),
in this very hot hole, the parent Mynas spent so little of their time
in the nest whilst the process of hatching was going on."
They lay indifferently four or five eggs. I have just as often found
the former as the latter number, but I have never yet met with more.
From Lucknow Mr. G. Reid tells us:--"Generally speaking the Common
Myna, like the Crow (_Corvus splendens_) commences to breed with the
first fall of rain in June--early or late as the case may be--and has
done breeding by the middle of September. It nests indiscriminately
in old ruins, verandahs, walls of houses, &c., but preferentially, I
think, in holes of trees, laying generally four, but sometimes five
eggs."
Colonel E.A. Butler writes:--"In Karachi Mynas begin to lay at the end
of April. The Common Myna breeds in the neighbourhood of Deesa during
the monsoon, principally in the months of July and August, at which
season every pair seems to be engaged in nidification. I have taken
nests containing fresh eggs during the first week of September; and
birds that have had their first nests robbed or young destroyed
probably lay even later still."
Lieut. H.E. Barnes informs us that this Myna breeds in Rajputana
during June and July.
Mr. Benjamin Aitken has furnished me with the following interesting
note:--"A pair of Mynas clung tenaciously for two years, from June
1863 to August 1865, to a hole in some matting in the upper verandah
of a house in Bombay. During this period they hatched six broods, one
of which I took and another was destroyed, by rats perhaps. I had
a strong suspicion that more than one set of eggs were destroyed
besides.
"The remarkable thing I wish to note is that every alternate brood
of young contained an _albino_, pure white and with pink eyes; being
three in all. Every time a new set of eggs was to be laid, a new nest
was built on the top of the old one. I once tore down the whole pile,
as it was infested with vermin, and found that seven nests had been
made, one upon another, showing that the Mynas must have occupied the
hole long before I noticed them. Each nest was complete in itself
and well lined, and as Mynas are not sparing of their materials,
the accumulated heap was nearly two feet deep. Every separate nest
contained a piece of a snake's skin, and with reference to your remark
on this point I may say that every Myna's nest that I have ever
examined has had a piece of snake-skin in it. This may, I think, be
simply accounted for by the fact of snake-skin lying about plentifully
in those places where Mynas mostly pick up their building-materials.
The breeding-season extends into September in Bombay; and though
it usually begins in June, I found a nest of half-fledged young at
Khandalla on the 31st May, 1871.
"With reference to your remarks in 'Nests and Eggs,' that you have
never met with more than five eggs in a nest, I would mention that I
took six eggs from a nest in the roof of a house I occupied at Akola,
on the 20th June, 1870.
"At the same station in August 1869 a nest of young Mynas was reared
above the hinge of the semaphore signal at the railway-station. One or
other arm of the signal must have risen and fallen every time a train
passed, but the motion neither alarmed the birds nor disarranged the
nest."
Messrs. Davidson and Wenden remark of this Myna in the
Deccan:--"Common, and breeds in May and June."
Mr. J. Inglis, writing from Cachar, says:--"The commonest of all birds
here. Breeds throughout the summer months. It makes its nest generally
in the roofs of houses or in holes in trees. It lays about five eggs
of a very pale blue colour."
Finally, Mr. Oates writes from Pegu:--"Commences making nest about
15th March. I have taken eggs as late as 17th July, but in this case
the previous brood had been destroyed. Normally no eggs are to be
found after June."
The eggs, which are larger than those of either _Sturnopastor contra_
or _A. ginginianus_, in other respects resemble these eggs greatly,
but when fresh are, I think, on the whole of a slightly darker colour.
They are rather long, oval, often pear-shaped, eggs, spotless and
brilliantly glossy, varying from very pale blue to pure sky- or
greenish blue.
In length they vary from 1·05 to 1·28, and in breadth from 0·8 to
0·95; but the average of ninety-seven eggs is 1·19 by 0·86.