ON ASIATIC STARLINGS. 381 



a green pectoral band separates the purple throat from the rest of the under- 

 parts which are " blue bottle " blue and more violet-blue on the flanks. 

 Under wing coverts brown with broad buff edges. Wing 124-135 mm. Bill 

 24-27 mm. from forehead feathers. 



This is the breeding bird of Siberia — Krasnoyarsk to Mara-kul and 

 Saissan Nor and east to Lake Baikal (Hartert). Winter visitor to Hima- 

 layas as far east as Assam, and to the plains as far south as latitude of 

 Baroda ; stragglers are recorded from the Deccan and Madras. (Gates.) 



2. Sturmis vulgaris nohilior, Hume. 



This is the Sturnvs poltaratskyi of the ' Fauna.' 



Resembles poltaratskyi, but the belly and flanks bright reddish purple, as 

 also are the wing coverts. The under tail coverts have a purple gloss. The 

 scapulars rump and upper tail coverts are mostly green, sometimes mixed 

 with purple blue, especially on the longer feathers. The underwing is darker 

 with narrower whitish edges. In winter the spots are smaller and whiter. 

 The bill is usually a little longer and slenderer, up to 30 mm. 



Type locality. Kandahar, Afghanistan ; probably breeds in Afghanistan 

 and East Persia. Winter visitor to N. W. India, Sind and Punjab. 

 (Hartert). Gates in the Fauna only gives three occurrences in India, viz., 

 Mardan, N. W. India and Munchar Lake in Sind, but it is certainly 

 commoner than these records would imply. 



3. Sturnus vulgaris caucasicus, Lorenz. The Caucasian Starling. 

 Not mentioned in the " Fauna " and not yet found in India. 



Head, throat, ear coverts, mantle, rump, and under-tail coverts green ; 

 wing coverts, belly, and flanks deep red purple. Under-wing blackish brown 

 with whitish edges. 



Type locality, Kislowodsk. Breeds in Caucasus, mountains of Persia, south 

 to Shiraz ; in winter at Fao. (Hartert.) 



4. Sturnus vulgaris purpurascens, Gould. Gould's Starling. 



Head and neck green, back purple variable amount of violet or steel blue 

 on mantle, wing coverts bronze, breast purple, abdomen bronze at sides. 

 Undeirwing coverts blackish brown with pale rust coloured edges. 



Type locality, Erzerum. Breeds in Asia Minor and Armenia exact boun- 

 daries unknown. Winters in Cyprus and Asia Minor, Has occurred as a 

 straggler in the Punjab (Hartert). Gates gives Rawal Pindi and Gurgaon 

 district as the only two occurrences but in view of the recognition of three 

 new races (hereafter mentioned) these identifications of purpurascens in 

 India may have to be altered (see note under dzungaricus) . 



5. Sturnus vulgaris porphyronotus, Sharpe. The Central Asian Starling. 

 Resembles purpurascens ; the head is greenish but the ear coverts always 



more or less purple ; the mantle is red purple, in some tinged with purple 

 blue ; the wing coverts are purple on the median and lesser series, bronze 

 green on the secondaries and their coverts, and the purple of the belly 

 shades off to bronze green on the flanks. Bill usually longer than in 

 poltaratskyi ; underwing blackish-brown with narrow whitish edges. 



Hartert gives the wing measurement as 125-133, once 134, once 135, but 

 I have seen it up to 137 mm. 



Type locality, Yarkand. Breeds in Yarkand in Turkestan across Tian- 

 Shan to Lake Issik Kul and Semiretshensk. In winter visits Afghanistan, 

 Kashmir, Punjab, Sind and parts of U. P. (Hartert). 



6. Sturnus vulgaris humii. Brooks. The Himalayan Starling. 



Head, deep purple-blue, redder purple on the throat, chin, and hindneok ; 

 ear coverts deep metallic green ; mantle coppery red to bronze ; scapulars 



