228 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Family STURNID^. — The Starlings. 



Char. General characters of the Ideridce, but with a rudimentary first primary, 

 making the total number ten. 



Tiie introduction of this family into the present work is required by the 

 occurrence of the typical species, Sfurnus vuhjaris, in Greenland, althougli 

 it otherwise characterizes the Old World exclusively. There are several 

 suhfaniilies, principally African and East Indian {Lnmirrotornithina', Bii- 

 phat/inw, Sturnincv, and Graculincc), some of them of very brilliant plum- 

 age. 



The Sturnidce in many respects constitute a natural stage of transition 

 from the Ictcritlm to the Corvidce, through the Jays. 



Genus STURNUS, Linn^os. 



Sturmts, Linn. Syst. Nat., I, (ed. 10,) 175S, 167. (Type, S. vulgaris.) 



GrEN. CinR. Bill long, conical, much depressed ; the culmen, gonys, and commissui-e 

 nearly straight, the latter angulated at base. Wings, twice length of tail ; much pointed. 



Sturnus vulgaris. 



the primaries graduating rapidly fi-om the second, the first being rudimentary, the secon- 

 daries much shorter. Tail nearly even ; the feathers acuminate. Tarsi short ; about equal 

 to middle toe ; lateral toes equal. Plumage coarse and stiff, each feather distinctly outUned. 



The bill of Sturnus is very similar to that of SturncUa, although less in- 

 flected at the edges. The shorter tarsi, much longer wings, with the inner- 

 most secondaries much less than the primaries, etc., readily distinguish the 

 two families. 



