SPOTTED STARLING. 597 



quarter from the anus, are cylindrical, adnate, half an inch 

 long. 



The eyes are rather small, their aperture two twelfths of an 

 inch in diameter ; the eyelids fringed with very small feathers 

 along the outer edge of the crenate hare margin ; the greater 

 part of the lower hare. The aperture of the ear is roundish, 

 three twelfths across ; the meatus small, linear, oblique. The 

 nostrils are ovate, oblique, open, with an arched horny oper- 

 culum, and placed in the fore part of the long nasal groove, 

 which is feathered, leaving only a thin ridge of the horny man- 

 dible interv^ening. 



The feet are rather short and stout ; the tarsus compressed, 

 with seven anterior scutella, and two longitudinal plates form- 

 ing a thin edge behind. The toes four ; the first stouter, di- 

 rected backwards parallel to the tarsus internally, and of about 

 the same length as the second and fourth, the latter much 

 more slender than the rest, the middle toe considerably longer ; 

 all with large scutella above, the first seven, the second nine, 

 the third thirteen, the fourth twelve ; the outer adherent as 

 far as the second joint. The claws are moderately stout, 

 arched, acute, much compressed, the sides erect and grooved. 



The plumage is compact and splendent. The feathers of the 

 fore part of the head are short, those on the nasal groove re- 

 curved, on the head and neck generally lanceolate and tapering 

 to a long point ; on the back and breast ovato-acuminate ; on 

 the rump broader and less pointed. The Avings are of moderate 

 length ; the first primary very small and slender, being only 

 half an inch long, the second half a twelfth shorter than the 

 third, which is two and a half twelfths longer than the fourth ; 

 the rest slowly graduated ; the primaries ten, somewhat nar- 

 rowed towards the end, but rounded ; the secondaries nine, 

 broad, the inner abrupt and emarginate, the outer rounded. 

 The tail is short, straight, emarginate, of twelve broad, oblique- 

 ly rounded feathers, the outer curved outwards toward the end. 



The bill is pale yellow, the iris hazel (but I have also 

 seen it yellowish) ; the feet light brownish-red, or brownish 

 flesh-colour ; the claws dusky. The general colour of the 

 plumage is black, glossed with brilliant tints of blue, green, 



