The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-27
SUSTAIN NRQM GRAND JURY CA HAHMD RGM TOTAL SR MHNSMNHK
MYNAH BIRD NOT THE REAL.
ARTICLE.
Is Not the Well Known Bird of India
But Does Good Work Among the
Insects.


L The mynah bird of these islands is
an impostor. Introduced nearly a
quarter of a century ago by DIR. Hille-
brand, he was accepted as the starting
Of India, the Eulabes relgiosa, de-
seribed in the archaeological records as
one of the Oriental sturnoid or star
ling like birds, as of the genera Acri-
dotheres and Eulabes. Eulabes reli-
giosa is the common nina of India,
purplish black, with a white patch on
the wings and orange lappets on the
head, 1t is often tanned and taught to
speak, and has the amusing and mis-
chievous manners of the magpie."
In India the nina is very readily
dOmes ticated like the starting of Eng
land, and belying his specific name of
religiOsa is a constant tease to the
Hindoo housewife. Somewhere on the
fiat roof where so much of the family
life of India goes on the nina has Sc
curely hidden treasure troVe where he
secrets every glittering bauble that his
eye perCeives and his beak can carry
away unobserved Bracelets, beads
and small coins all help to furnish his
hiding place, while he himself with
head turned mischievously to one side
watches with bright eye the unaVail-
ing efforts of the woman to find her
lost possessions.
All starlings are more or less insec-
tivorous and it is on that account that
Eulabes religiosa is particularly valu-
ed. Larvae and insects disappear be-
fore his rigorous search and while he
likes to take an occasional neck at a
juicy fruit and enjoys berries by way
of dessert, the value of the nina to
India in keeping down insect pests is
incalculable.
For this reason the nina was brought
to Hawaii, or intended to be brought
But religiosa has a cousin who is also
a native of India, Burmah, Java and
parts of Malaysia. This cousin, or
rather cousin german, is barely to be
DISTINGUISHED from the genuine article
at casual glance, though close investi-
cation of the specimens in the Bishop
museum reveals the fact, that the true
nina carries a pair of wattles like ear
brows over it's auricular orifces. By
some mistake the bird with the wattles
did not come to these Islands, but his
cousin. called the false nina, or more
scientifically, Acridotheres, came In his
stead and has usurped his title and
good name masquerading in perky de-
4 fiance for twenty-five years or more.
| TIE domestic side of the nina has
not been developed in these islands,
neither has his propensity for speech
or petty thievery been noticed, but he
has been accused and With justice, of
materially aiding the spread of the
lantana, concerning the utility of
which operation, opinions are divided.
The lantana is commonly termed a
sCourge though scientists, while admit
ting that the forests are choked by it's
spread, are claiming that it is invalu-
/ able as a breaker up of the rocky
ground while depOsiting a constant
supply of humus from it's falling leaves,
/ thus rendering the soil ready to yield
crops where otherwise human eXertion
could never have altered the barren
ness in twice the period. So that the
spread of the lantana may after all not
be counted as a crime on the part of
! the bird so familiar to all of us.
Next came the charge that the my
nah, as the name is sometimes spelled
was not doing the work that he was
/ brought here to accomplish and asper-
sions were cast upon his identity which
have now proven to be true.
The. scientists however have come tc
the rescue of the local incumbent in a
body as far as his insect destroying
qualities are concerned. w. A. Bryan
the ornithologist of the Bishop museum
has been making a special study of the
contents of the stomachs of the NINA
of Hawaii and will shortly publish a
monograph on the subject His Is the
authority for the mistaken identity OF
the two birds but does-not discredit the
! local nina as an insect destroyer.
Professor Koebele champions the
cause also, stating that great quaint
ties of the larva of the Sphinx mott
and other caterpillars are stamped ou
by the busy birds.
while il is true that he eats a few
: berries, perhaps a great many lantanf
berries every bird will do that bu
there are many districts where fock'
of minas have eliminated the cater
pillar pest There is no doubt of thell
usefulness. They would beat any ino
culations of fungus in destroying the
japanese beetle If that annoyance
would only commit his depredations II
the day time instead of after dark.
Wray Taylor has often watched
minas through the glass and seen then
indefatigably digging away for insects
with an occasional worm as piece d'
resistance. Several other people wh'
have had occasion and opportunity t
watch the onerations of the bird concur
in giving him unlimited credit as {
pest destroyer.
So that after all, while the nina ha!
!, been living under false feathers anC
| posing as the genuine nina of India
perhaps no harm has been done and thu
/ present incumbent is just as satisfac
} tory, except possibly to those wh'
would have taught him to talk an'
whistle, speciality which this particu
lar species does not seem to have ye
! graduated to. At any rate he Is NOR
of a success than the mongoose anC
, his perky walk and noisy chatte
would be missed from our streets ant
gardens had he been declared agains
as a mere idler and destroyer of fruit
ICE HOUSE DELICACIES.