STARLINGS 153 



ami is somewhat similar to that of the European Yellow 

 Hammer. It feeds principally on weed seeds. 



The other members of the subfamily are not bush-birds, 

 so we must treat of them under another heading. 



STARLINGS 



We next come to the Sturnidae (Starlings), a fairly large 

 group amongst which are several birds quite as destructive 

 as they are useful, and here is also included the celebrated 

 Wattled Starling (one of the Locust Birds), which will be 

 found described amongst the agriculturist's friends. 



A common member of this family is the Red-shouldered 

 Glossy Starling (Lamprocolius plicenicoptcrus), commonly 

 known as the Green Spreeuw in the Eastern portion of 

 Cape Province. It is of a brilliant metallic glossy green, blue 

 and purple. Length 10| inches. It inhabits the bushy kloofs, 

 usually laying four or five bluish-green eggs, spotted with pale 

 red-brown, in a hole in a tree. We found that the soft Euphor- 

 bias are very often utilised by these birds as nesting sites. 



The true Green Spreeuw is confined to Cape Province, it 

 being replaced in the Transvaal and Natal by a smaller sub- 

 species (L. p. bisjjecularis), which, in addition to being 

 smaller (length 8 J inches), has the back of a steel-green colour 

 instead of the oil-green tint which obtains in the large bird. 

 They resemble one another in habits, being chiefly frugi- 

 vorous, but vary this with an occasional diet of insect life. 



The next species is the Green-headed Glossy Starling 

 (L. sycobius), which ranges from the Central Transvaal 

 northwards. 



This bird is a little smaller than the lesser Green Spreeuw 

 (length 8 inches), and has the head glossy oil-green, with a 

 coppery sheen in the sunlight. Its nesting habits are 

 similar to the preceding species, as are also its eggs. 



