102 ONYCHOGNATHUS FRATER 



feather where it entirely covers the inoer web for 1-8 inches from the tip and 

 extends on the outer web 0-7 further down. "Iris greyish brown; feet 

 brown " (Balfour). Total length 12 inches, culmen 1-2, wing 61, tail 5o, 

 tarsus 1-45. <? , 21. 1. 99, Sokotra (Grant & Forbes). 



Adult female. Like the male in colouring as well as in size. 



Immature. Differ from adults in being duller and more dusky, and in 

 the secondaries having some rufous next to their shafts, most strongly 

 marked on those nearest to the primaries. 



The Sokotra Chestnut-winged Starhng is conhned to the 

 Island of Sokotra. 



Prof. J. B. Balfour discovered the species. Mr. Ogilvie 

 Grant writes : " During our stay iu the neighbourhood of 

 Hadibu, I never came across the species, but may possibly 

 have overlooked it among the numbers of A. hhjtlii that 

 daily frequented the plain. This is, however, unlikely, for 

 both species were almost always in pairs or small flocks, and 

 the grey-headed females of A. hlythl were conspicuous at 

 a long distance. After a brief acquaintance with the two 

 species, one never had any difficulty in distinguishing between 

 them. A pair of entirely black plumaged Starlings might 

 safely be put down as A. f rater, and if one wanted further 

 evidence, the much larger bill and shorter tail — a character 

 specially conspicuous in flight — afforded ample proof. The 

 call-note ' pee-hoo,' is a clear, soft, bell-like sound, easily 

 distinguished from that of A. hhjthi ; but, like that species, 

 the female utters a harsh Jay-like ' scraich ' when wounded 

 or suddenly alarmed. The behaviour of the present species 

 is, moreover, very different from that of Blyth's Starling. 

 It is much tamer, and allows one to approach quite close 

 without displaying any trace of alarm. The two species 

 may occasionally, perhaps accidentallj^ be found associating 

 with one another while feeding, but as a rule they are met 

 with separately. It- was not until we reached Homhil, at 

 the east end of the island, that female exanjples were pro- 



