■y 



82 STURNINjE 



the tail as it does in group 2, which includes all the rufous breasted 

 species. 



On coming to the Chestnut-winged Starlings, which are all readily 

 distinguishable by the large amount of rufous on the wings, which are 

 alike in both sexes, we find that the thirteen known forms, including 

 three subspecies, belonging to this group, have been separated into six 

 genera, of which Onychognatlms, Hartl., 1849, witii the type 0. fnlijidns, 

 is the oldest, then Pyrrhochira, Eeichenb., 1850, Amydrus, Cab. 18.51 

 following ; the other three genera are represented by single species. It 

 appears to me to be undouljtedly an advantage to science to include these 

 species in one genus, as Blanford has forcibly expressed as his opinion, in 

 the "Geol. and Zool. Abyss, p. 401 (1870), and which I have followed by 

 placing all these Chestnut-winged Starlings under their one oldest generic 

 name, Onychognatlms. 



KEY TO THE GENEEA. 



a. Head and neck never white or ashy when the under 

 parts are white. 



rt^. Head and neck entirely feathered ; tarsi and feet 

 never yellow. 

 a". Feathers of head and neck rounded. 



a^. Tarsi and feet pink ; plumage mostly isabelline, 



with no gloss HyjMColhis. 



b^. Tarsi and feet blackish. 



a*. Tail square, with the centre feathers slightly 

 the shortest, 

 a''. Culmen rather long and straighter, about 



the length of the tarsus Ilartlaubius. 



b^. Culmen rather short and more curved. . . Cinnyricinichis. 

 b*. Tail, with the centre feathers longer than the 

 outer ones ; plumage glossed, 

 c^. Basal portion of primaries white, forming a ^ 



distinct speculum on the closed wing . . . Spcculipastor. -jj .v j 

 (/•'''. No white showing on the closed wing, 

 a". Plumage of sexes alike. No rufous on 

 tlie wings, unless the breast and under 

 tail-coverts are rufous. 

 a''. Tail longer than the wing, and with 

 the end portion of centre feather only 

 0-5 inch wide ; breast yellow or ashy 

 brown Cosmopsanis. i S 'ft 



