VI I STURNIDAE 56 1 



the female being brown and buff above, and whitish below with 

 dusky striations ; Cahrnis and Ap/otiis are usually dullish green: 

 while the extinct FregUupu^i ty/ri/is was ashy-brown, grey, and 

 white. Falcidla is white with blue-black liack, wings, and tail. 

 It freijuents trees or streams, and utters plaintive, melodious 

 notes. Btiphaga is dull-l)rown, with fuhnus rump and lower 

 surface. The bill is conmionly black througliout the group, but 

 is sometimes red, pinkish, bluish, greenish, orange, or yellow ; 

 the feet also vary in colour. Albinos are rather frequent. 



This Family occupies almost all the Old A\^orld, but not 

 America proper, though Sturnus vulgaris has strayed to Greenland ; 

 t.lic headquarters lie in the Indian and Ethiopian Eegions, wherein 

 several forms have a very restricted distribution. Instances of this 

 are Chariiornis of the Sula Islands, Scissirosirum, Enodes, and 

 Streplocitia of Celebes, Hagio'psar of the Dead Sea and Sinaitic 

 districts, Harthiuhius and Falculia of Madagascar, Sarcops of the 

 Philippines, Mino of Papuasia, Melanopurrlms and 3[acruropsa.r 

 of Xew Guinea and its islands, ApJonis of the Pacific and the 

 Tenimber group. Fi'egilupus, of which only a few examples exist 

 in collections, was confined to Eeunion, Necropsar is an extinct 

 form from Rodriguez. Ccdoimis alone inhabits Australia. 



Lamprotornis, Spodiojjsar, and the Eulabetidae in general, rarely 

 leave the trees they haunt ; on the other hand, some forms, as 

 our Starling, spend much time upon the ground, or r(»ost in huge 

 fiocks on shrubs,, reeds, and the like. The habits are wary, and 

 seldom as sociable as those of our British species, hills being often 

 preferred to more wooded districts or the neighbourhood of houses. 

 Aethiopisar reaches an altitude of seven thousand feet. The flight 

 is strong, straight, and rapid, though heavier in Bupliaga ; wdiile 

 flocks of Starlings turn, sweep along, and gyrate in remarkable 

 fashion, and soaring is not uncommon. The more terrestrial forms 

 walk and run excellently, often stopping suddenly to probe the soil 

 for worms or larvae, which, with insects generally, and molluscs, 

 provide the chief sustenance. A large amount of fruit is also con- 

 sumed, including berries and seeds ; frogs and, as some say, callow 

 nestlings are also devoured ; Pastor, Diloidivs, and Acridot/ieres 

 destroy locusts ; Eidahcs and its allies prefer vegetable food ; 

 Bupliaga. is termed Ox-pecker or Rhinoceros-bird, from clearing- 

 ticks off those animals. Certain species disgorge nutriment for 

 their young. The voice is conmionly varied and pleasing, becoming 

 VOL. IX ■ 2 o 



