312



Practical Bird-Keeping. — VI. Starlings.



Mrs. Connell. Mrs. Hetlev, Miss Alderson, Messrs. F. E. Blaauw,

Hubert I). Astley, Ogilvie-Grant, A. Trevor-Battye, Albert Pam,

B. C. Tliomasset, 'I'. H. Newman, Gerald Gurney, Hugh Wormald,

H. C. Martin, S. M. Townsliend, Duncan Parker, E. H. Trenow,

J. G. Mylan, W. Oakle> r , J. B.’Housden, R. Staples-Brown, H.

Gronvold, C. Dell and S. Williams.



PRACTICAL BIRD-KEEPING.



VI. STARLINGS.


By Dr. A. G. Buti.er.


The Starlings of the World divide naturally into three

tolerably well-defined families—the NewWorld Starlings ( Icleridce )

which appear to be related on the one side to the larger Weaver-

birds and on the other to the Old World Starlings ; the Old World

Starlings ( Sturnidce ) with the exception of the true Grackles,

between which and the Ic ter idee they form an intermediate group,

and lastly the Grackles ( Eulabetidce ) which are nearer to the

Bower-birds and Crows in general appearance and outline.


In the first of these families the bill of the male is gener¬

ally markedly longer than in the female, and the bastard primary,

though well-developed, is shorter than its coverts and is therefore

called a remicle. In the second family the difference in length

of bill in the sexes is much less marked and sometimes hardly

appreciable, but the bastard primary is longer than its coverts.

From the latter family the Eulabetidce (represented by Eulabes

only) are readily separable by the remarkable difference of width

in the bills of male and female, the heavy, far more Crow-like,

character of the bird, and its possession of both face-wattles and

neck-lappets : it is also a group of hopping birds.


I have thought it necessary to mention these points,

because the affinities of groups have some relation both to their

food and nidification : thus the Ideridce, which come nearest to the

Finches, are, as regards some of their members, seed-eaters to a

greater extent than either the Stuinidce or the Eulabetidce ; more¬

over they contain species with finch-like beaks, and one species



