STURNUS UNICOLOB 6 



eaten, and I know of one place in Piedmont where as many as ten 

 thousand of the poor birds are said to have been taken in a single 

 night in a reed-bed not more than two or three acres in extent. 

 Fortunately, the place in question being private property and its 

 owner not approving of such wholesale slaughter, this netting has 

 been discontinued there. 



In its habits the Starling is eminently sociable and gregarious, and 

 on the approach of autumn the birds collect in vast multitudes, at 

 times so great as to actually darken the sky like a cloud. The effect 

 produced by a large flock of Starlings rapidly flying in close order, 

 and varying its shape and conformation from one moment to another, 

 is most striking. In its diet the species may be said to be almost 

 omnivorous, little coming amiss to it ; insects, slugs and worms, 

 however, no doubt constitute its principal food. 



The Starling is naturally noisy and loquacious ; its notes are 

 chattering and unmusical as a rule, but it has a whistle which is 

 fairly melodious. The bird is a great mimic, and when kept in 

 captivity will readily acquire the notes of other birds. 



STURNUS UNICOLOR, La Marmora. 

 SAEDINIAN STARLING. 



Sturnus unicolor, "La Marm." Temm. Man. d'Orn. i, p. 133 (1820); 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiii, p. 39 ; Malherbe, Cat. Rais. d'Ois. 

 Alg. p. 9 (1846) ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 127 (1867) ; Koeiiig, 

 J. f. 0. 1888, p. 171 ; id. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 371 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, 

 p. 94 ; Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 485. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Kasrin, Central Tunisia. 



Entire plumage of the body glossy black, with purple reflections ; wings 

 and tail blackish-brown, the inner primaries and the secondaries lighter 

 towards their tips and fringed with black. 



Iris dark brown ; bill yellow ; feet light brown. 



Total length 8 inches, wing 5-25, culmen 1, tarsus 1-20. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather duller in coloration. 



Young birds resemble those of S. vulgaris, but are a good deal darker. 



Observations. — Apparently the yellow bill is assumed in March, and 

 becomes black in June, when the irides and feet also change colour, the 



