388 STUENIDJE.

are blue, spotless, and commonly brilliantly glossy. In shade they
vary from a delicate bluish white to a pure, though somewhat pale,
sky-blue, and not uncommonly are more or less tinged with green.
They vary in length from 0*95 to 1*25, and in breadth from
0-75 to 0-9 ; but the average of one hundred eggs is I'll by 0*82
nearly. %

556. Sturnopastor superciliaris, Blyth. The Burmese Pied Myna.

Sturnopastor superciliaris, Bl.} Humey Rough Draft N. §* E. no. 083
Ms.

Of the Burmese Pied Pastor, or Myna, Mr. Eugene Gates says
that it is common and resident throughout the plains of Pegu.
"Writing from Wau he says :—

" On the 2Sth of April, having a spare morning, I took a very
large number of nests and eggs. ' The eggs .were in various stages
of incubation, but the majority were freshly laid. On May 7th I
took another nest with two eggs. These were quite fresh*

" The nest is a huge cylindrical structure, about 18 inches long
and a foot in diameter, composed of straws leaves, and feathers. It
is placed at a height of from 10 to 25 feet from the ground, in a
most conspicuous situation, generally at the end of a branch which
has been broken off and where a few leaves are struggling to come
out. A bamboo-bush is also a favourite site. This Myna will,
by preference, build near houses, but in no case in a house; it
must have a tree."

The eggs, which I owe to Mr. Oates, are, as might be expected,
very similar indeed to those of our Common Pied Pastor, but they
seem to average somewhat smaller.

They are moderately broad ovals, a good deal pointed towards
one end, and in some cases more or less compressed there, and
slightly pyriforin.

The specimens sent are only moderately glossy. In colour they
vary from very pale bluish green to a moderately dark greenish
blue, but the great majority are pale.

In length they vary from 1-0 to 10, and in breadth from 0*73 to
0-82 : but the average of fifteen^gggsjs 1'04 by 0*77.