122 CREATOPHOKA 



The claims for this species to be entered in my present 

 work are the same as those of Acridotheres tristis and 

 Mainatus religiosus and others, such as the Java Sparrow, 

 which have been introduced, and thrive in a wild state in 

 their adopted countries. 



Mr. W. L. Sclater writes : " The English Starling has, 

 during the last few years, completely established itself in 

 Cape Town and the various suburbs extending round the 

 slopes of Table Mountain ; it has also been seen as far as 

 Stellenbosch about twenty-five miles inland. It is said that 

 a few pairs were imported and turned out in the Groote 

 Schur grounds at Rondebosch some 3'ears ago (I believe in 

 1898), together with several other species of English birds, 

 by Mr. Cecil Rhodes. The Starling, however, is the only 

 one wdiich has thoroughly established itself and spreads 

 any distance from its original starting-point. It nests freely 

 about Cape Town and the suburbs, choosing somewhat similar 

 sites to those made use of in England, such as attics, 

 chimneys, watershoots, and other convenient places about 

 dwelling-houses." 



Genus XL CREATOPHOEA. 



Bill very like that of our Common Starling ; nasal aperture exposed, 

 elongated and with an overhanging membrane. Head sometimes bare, with 

 two erect wattles on the forehead and ci-own, as well as two large ones 

 hanging down from the throat, otherwise the head and neck is feathered 

 and even, with a bare tract down each side of the throat. Wing pointed, 

 first primary shorter than the primary coverts. Tail shorter than the wing 

 and square, with the centre feathers slightly the shortest. 



Type. 



Dilophus (non Meigen. 1804, Dipt.) Vieill. Analyse, p. 



34 (1816) C. caruncidatus. 



Creatophora, Less. Descr. Mamm. & Ois. p. 308 (1847). C. caruncidatus. 



Perissornis, Oberholser, Proc. Philad. Acad. 1899, p. 



216 C. carunculatus. 



The genus is represented by a single species, which is confined to the 

 Ethiopian Kegiou and Arabia. 



