10 BRITISH BIRDS. 
Subfamily STURNIN A&A, on STARLINGS., 
The minute bastard primary and the great length of the second primary, 
which is the longest in the wing, together with the absence of the nasal 
bristles and of scutellations at the back of the tarsus, are characters which 
diagnose the Starlings from the other subfamilies of the Passeride. The 
tarsus is moderately long and scutellated in front, and the bill is straight, 
slender, and unfurnished with rictal bristles. The Starlings moult once 
a year in autumn, the spring plumage being attained by casting the ends 
of the feathers. The young in first plumage differ considerably from 
their parents, being a nearly uniform brown more or less streaked on the 
underparts ; but this plumage is lost by the first autumn moult. 
The Sturnine are an Old-World group of birds, found in every part of 
the eastern hemisphere, except in the arctic and antarctic regions and 
on the continent of Australia. Wallace includes 124 species in this group 
of birds. Four only are found in Europe, of which one is a resident in 
the British Islands and a second is a rare straggler to our shores. 
Genus STURNUS. 
Linneeus included the genus Sturnus in the 12th edition of his ‘ Systema 
Nature,’ published in 1766 (vol.i. p. 290). The Common Starling, because 
it is the Sfurnus sturnus of Brisson, has indisputable claims to be considered 
the type. 
The most striking peculiarity in the Starlings is the metallic tint of 
their plumage—purple, green, and bronze. This character is sufficient, in 
conjunction with their size, to distinguish them from all other European 
birds. The rictal bristles are obsolete, and the nostrils are bare of 
feathers, but half-covered with a-soft horny operculum. The forehead is 
very depressed ; and the feathers on the head, throat, ant breast are Ego 
gated something like the hackles of a Cock. 
The genus Sturnus contains about eight or nine species and aes 
confined to the central and southern portions of the Palearctic Region and 
the extreme north of the Oriental Region. 
In their habits the Starlings are gregarious. They frequent pastures, 
