106 ONYCHOGNATHUS MORIO 



Achilt female. Differs in the hecad and neck, being ashy grey, streaked 

 with glossy violet shaft-stripes. Wing 5-5, tail 5-0. ? , 24. i. 66, Cape 

 Town (Andersson). 



The Common Chestnut-winged Starhng ranges from the 

 Cape of Good Hope over the eastern half of the continent 

 into Abyssinia. 



Tlie species has been divided into four : (1) O. morio 

 (Linn.), with a dark bkie gloss, from Cape of Good Hope; (2) 

 Cow us rufipennis, Shaw, also from the Cape district, but with 

 a green shade, since named by Mr. Neumann, Amijdrus 

 gracilirostris, I look upon as a mere variety ; (3) A. morio 

 shellehyi and intennedius, Hartert, from East Africa : (4) 

 A. riie^jeUi, Verr., from Xorth-east Africa. 



The species increases slightly in its average size towards 

 its northern limit, as is the case with many of the wide 

 ranging African birds ; but on this account to draw any 

 definite boundary between the range of 0. morio (Jjinn.) and 

 O. ruepelU (Verr.) appears to me to be misleading. 



Kegarding its habits, Stark writes : " This common and 

 well-known species remains in flocks all the year round, and 

 usually breeds in colonies, but occasionally in single pairs. 

 Their presence is easily recognised by their loud, prolonged 

 and musical whistling note, which is constantly uttered, 

 both during flight and when at rest. On the wing they are 

 as readily distinguished by their bright chestnut wing-quills 

 and wedge-shaped tails, the females by their greyish heads. 

 During the greater portion of the year these Starlings feed 

 upon larvae and insects, but during the fruit season they 

 devour grapes, figs and other soft fruit. They are in conse- 

 quence not looked upon with a favourable eye by farmers and 

 fruit growers. I have seen them catch mature locusts on 

 the wing as well as tiyiug termites, and on one occasion I 



