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there is much variation in the amount 

 of bhiokin the winter pUiniaj<o of hotli 



HCXOS. 



Voiui(i hirds have iliiUor, more 

 neutral colorH, niOBt of the vvhitea of 

 tlie adults hoiiif^ {;ray in the younj*. 



Dislrihutioii. China and .hipan. A 

 winter viKitant in tlio Yanj^tse Valley. 

 It is usually found in flocks of from ton 

 to several hundred individuals. They 

 are active and restless, lly very rapidly, 

 the whole Hock whooling and turning 

 with almost military precision. 



A much rarer bird is the Silky 

 Slarlivg (Spodiopsur Hoi'iceus), which 

 is residont in Houtli Cliiini,. The male 

 is a light silky gray above, with a white 

 head, and black wings and tail. The 

 female has the same silky sheen, but 

 the gray is brownish. It occurs as a 

 rare winter visitant in the Yangtao 

 Valley. 



The Daurian Starlet (Agropsar 

 sturninua), occasionally occurs in the 

 winter. It is brownish above, whitish 

 below, with some rufous on the 

 scapulars, wing coverts, and upper tail 

 coverts. 



Family, Zosteropldae. The Silver Eyes. 



The Silver J'jyos are so called from 

 the ring of small white feathers which 

 Hiu'rounds the eyes. They are small 

 birds, with slender, slightly curved, or 

 straight, pointed bills, about one half 

 the lengtli of thoir hoads. Tlie nostrils 

 are covered by a largo membrane. The 

 tongue is protractile and bilid. The 

 tarsus is of niodorato length, covered 

 with a few scales in front. The middle 

 and outer toes are partly united. The 

 wings are rather short, with the lirst 



