STARLINGS OF SHETLAND, FAIR ISLE, AND ST KILDA 183 



THE STARLINGS OF SHETLAND, FAIR ISLE, 



AND ST KILDA. 



In a recent issue of Novitates Zoologicce (vol. xxv. pp. 327- 

 337), Dr Hartert reviews the various forms of the Common 

 Starling {Sturnus vulgaris) and adds several new sub-species, 

 making the total number of races now recognised to be 

 nineteen in number. Among the new forms is Stiirmis 

 vulgaris zetlandicus, the Starling of the Shetland Isles ; but 

 the peculiarities of the Starlings which are natives of Fair 

 Isle and St Kilda are also described. 



In his preliminary remarks, Dr Hartert tells us that ''' the 

 Starlings are one of the most difficult genera of Passeres 

 with regard to their sub-species. Some have a very wide 

 distribution and are enormous migrants, while others are 

 fairly local and resident, and their plumage varies very much 

 according to season and age." 



The Starling of Shetland, he finds, comes nearest to that 

 of the Faroe Isles the 5. faroensis of Fielden from which 

 it differs in having the " bill not so wide and long, though 

 wider (only sometimes longer) than in 5. v. vulgaris. First 

 primary not so broad as in faroensis. Wings 131, 131, 132, 



133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 137-5, 138 mm- (In twelve adult 

 faroensis wings 133-136, in 200 vulgaris only 1 28-132, 

 exceptionally up to 134 mm.) Juv. as a rule, as dark as 

 those oi faroensis, much darker than those of vulgaris. . . . 

 Mr Ogilvie Grant (Bull B. O. Club, xxxiii., p. 6^,) first called 

 attention to the dark colour of the Shetland Starlings, but 

 he said the adult ones did not differ from common British 

 Starlings." Mr Ogilvie Grant's remarks were criticised by 

 Dr C. B. Ticehurst in the Scottish Naturalist {igi$, pp. 3-4), 

 where he demonstrated that some of Mr Grant's distinguishing 

 characters were not confined to Shetland birds. It will be 

 observed that so far as the plumage of adults is concerned 

 Dr Hartert claims no peculiarity for .S". zetlandicus. 



Dr Hartert's remarks on the native Starlings of Fair 

 Isle and St Kilda are also interesting. Those of Fair 

 Isle an island midway between the Orkney and Shetland 



