306 AVES. 



OxYRYNCHUs, Tem. 



The conical and pointed beak of Xanthornus, but it is shorter than 



the head. 



The species known, Oxyr. flammiceps, T. ; 0. cristatus, 



Swains. 111. Ill, 49; Col. 125, has a partly red tuft on the head, 



like several of the Tyrants. The 



Dacnis, Cuv. Pit-Pits, Buff". 



Resemble Xanthorni in their conical and short beak. They con- 

 nect that subgenus with Regulus. The species known. Mot. cayana^ 

 L.; Enl. 669; Vieill. Gal. 165, is a small blue and black bird. ^See 

 App. XXII of dm. Ed.'] 



Sturnus, Lin, 



The Starlings only differ from the Xanthorni in having a beak 

 that is depressed, especially near the point. 



S. vulgaris, L. ; Enl. 75; Naum. 62. (The Common Starling.) 

 Black v/ith violet and green reflections, every where spotted 

 with white or fawn colour. The young male is of a brown grey. 

 It is found in great numbers throughout the whole of the eastern 

 continent, feeds on insects, and is of use to cattle by relieving 

 them from their attacks. It flies in large and crowded flocks, 

 is easily tamed, and may be taught to sing and even to speak. 

 It leaves France in winter. Its flesh is disagreeable.(l) 



We can find no sufficient character to enable us to distinguish 



(1) Add the Stumus unicolor of the south of Europe, Tem. Col. 3; Vieill. Gal. 

 pi. xci; St. capensis, Enl. 280, from which the St. contra, Albin. Ill, 21, does 

 not differ, but which is from the Indies, and not from the Cape; St. militarise Enl. 

 113i St. ludovicianus, Enl. 256, the same as the Mauda magna, Gm. Catesb. 1, 

 33, or the Stournelk d collier, Vieill. Gal. pi. xc, and Wils. Ill, xix, 2; the Etour- 

 neau d camail rouge (Oriolus ruber, Gm.) Sonner. Nouv. g. pi. Ixviii, ov Amhlyram- 

 phus tricolor. Leach, Zool. Miscel. pi. xxxvi; a beautiful species from the steppes 

 of Buenos Ayres, and not from India, as stated by Sonnerat. 



N.15. The (Si. cmc/ws forms, as we have seen, a genus allied to the Thrushes ; 

 the St. sericeus. Brown, III, 21, is rather a Gracula, Cuv.; the St. collaris is the 

 same as the Fauvette of the Alps {accentor). The St. carunculatus should, I think, 

 go along with Philedon. 



The species of Osbec, Hernandes, kc. are not well authenticated; as to those of 

 Pallas, it is to be regretted that we have no figures of them. The Stournes of 

 Daudin must be replaced with the Thrushes, or the Philedons, and his Quiscales, 

 partly with the Graculx, Cuv. and partly with Cassicus. Daudin, generally speak- 

 ing, completed the confusion of this genus, sufficiently entangled by his prede- 

 cessors. 



