N0VITATE3 ZOOLOGICAE XXV. 1918. 329 



Stumus vulgaris sophiae Bianchi. 



Sturnus sophiae Bianchi, Annuaire Mus. Zool. St. Petersboiirg, 1896. p. 129 (Russian !( Translation : 

 Orn. Monalahcr. 1S97. pp. 165. 166. — Gorernments of St. Petersburg and Twer, but two 

 pages farther, in the " key " is said that specimens from St. Petersburg, Twer, and Orenburg 

 have been examined. 



Diagnosis agreeing with that of Buturhn for his jiikowi; I think, therefore, 

 that the name sophiae must be adopted for the East-Russian form, though it 

 seems that Buturlin is of opinion that it inhabits only easternmost Russia. 

 Harms, Orn. Blonatsher. 1897. p. 166, wishes to adopt Prazak's name intermedins 

 for this form, but this cannot be done. It is true that Prazak gave a diagnosis 

 which also fits the East-Russian Starhngs, but he gives the name intermedius 

 to the Starhng nesting in Bohemia, and probably his remarks were not based on 

 study but arose out of his imagination, called forth by the theory of Sharpe of 

 the occurrence of eastern Starhngs in West Europe. Sturmis vulgaris jitkowi 

 Buturhn, Orn. Jahrb. 1904, p. 206 (Eastern Russia from the Ural to the middle 

 Volga, including the valley of the Sura, single specimens in the governments 

 of Charkov and Moscow and straggle even into Western Europe. Winter speci- 

 mens seen from Caucasus and Transcaucasus). 



This form differs from typical S. v. vulgaris merely in having more purpUsh 

 colour on the head, especially on the crown and throat, while the ear-coverts 

 remain greenish. It is not true that the back has more purple, as this varies 

 greatly everywhere. 



Russian ornithologists seem to agree that in Russia, at least in its eastern 

 parts, a form of Starhng exists with more purple on the head ; about its exact 

 distribution, however, they seem to have different views, nor is it easy to settle 

 that question, unless large series of breeding birds are examined, because such 

 purple-headed Starhngs occur also farther westwards. This Starling winters 

 in great numbers in the lowlands of Talysh (Loudon), it wanders through the 

 Caucasus, occurs in Palestine (Meinertzhagen), on Cyprus (Glaszner), and in 

 Egypt. Whether it occurs in West Siberia I camiot say, as no material is avail- 

 able, though Starlings seem to nest in great quantities, at least in the southern 

 parts of West Siberia. At Krasnoyarsk we find akeady poltaratskyi. 



Sturnus vulgaris zetlandicus subsp. no v. 



Nearest to S. v. jaroensis, but bill not so wide and long, though wider (only 

 sometimes longer) than in 8. v. vulgaris. First primary not as broad as in 

 faroensis. Wings, 131, 131, 132, 133, 133, 134, 135, 136, 136, 137, 137-5, 138 

 mm. (In 12 adult faroensis wings 133-136, in 200 vulgaris only 128-132, 

 exceptionally up to 134 mm.) Juv. as a rule as dark as those of faroensis, much 

 darker than those of vulgaris. 



Type : cJ ad. North Yell, 22. xi. 1913. Lt.-Colonel R. H. Nicholson coll. 

 (Brit. Museum, 1913, 11. vii. 3). 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant (Bull. B.O. Club, xxxiii. p. 63) first called attention to the 

 dark colour of the Shetland Starhngs, but he said the adult ones did not differ 

 from common British Starhngs. He says that I " also agreed on this point," 

 but I had only cast a glance at some specimens in the British Museum, without 

 going into details and measuring, only comparing a few examples handed to 

 me for comparison ; such comparisons are, of course, never final. It is curious 



