LAMPROTORNIS PHCENICOPTERUS 71 



approaches Cape Colony. I have measured the wings of the 

 fine series of specimens in the British Museum and find they 

 vary as follows: To the north of the Cunene from 4'7-5 to 

 5*0 inches ; Damaraland 5"0 to 5"3 ; from Matabeleland to 

 Durban in Natal, 4'75 to 5'4; in Cape Colony 5'0 to 5"8; so 

 as I do not see where the line is to be drawn between the 

 larger and smaller races I have included L. phoenicopterus 

 (Swains.) and L. bispecularis (Strickl.), under one name. 



This Starling is recorded in the list of Marche and 

 de Compiegne's collection from as far north as Fernand Vaz 

 in Gaboon. In Loango it has been procured by Falkenstein 

 and Petit. In the British Museum there is one of Toulson's 

 from Angola, and also specimens from Ambaca and Capan- 

 gombe (Anchieta), Benguela (Monteiro), Otjimbinque (Anders- 

 son), Matabele and Limpopo (Gates), Swaziland (Buckley), 

 Natal (Buckley, Eeid, Gordge and T. L. Ayres), Port Eliza- 

 beth, Eland Post (Atmore), Cape Colony (Layard), and it 

 has been recorded from many other intervening places. 



Monteiro considered it to be a common bird throughout 

 Angola, and Anchieta found it was known to the natives of 

 Capangombe as the " Melombeonganza," and at Quillengues 

 as the " Janja." 



Andersson writes : " This bird is found most abundantly 

 throughout Damara and Great Namaqualand, in the valleys of 

 the Okavango and of the Teoughe, and in the Lake regions. 

 Like our European Starling, which it very much resembles 

 in manners and habits, it frequently congregates in large 

 flocks ; it is comparatively tame and easy to approach, and 

 is often met with near villages. Its food is very various, 

 consisting of berries, seeds and insects, and it is very 

 destructive to fruit gardens; its flesh is not unpalatable. 

 This species forms its nest in the hollows of trees, lining 

 the cavity well with feathers." 



