STURNIA. 711 
Species, 
a‘, Primaries and secondaries without white edges; tail broadly tipped with 
white, gray, or salmon-buff. 
b*. Secondary-coverts entirely white, light gray, or salmon-buff (adult). 
sinensis (p. 711) 
b?. Secondary-coverts black, edged with gray; or else some of the coverts white 
((COTEAYSS) cE RE EARS MS Mae a aPRMO NR aN aie een IRN ee Ceo eee sinensis (p. 711) 
a*, Outer primaries and secondaries edged with white on outer webs; tail without 
a light tip. 
b'. Throat and breast unstreaked (adult); lower throat, ear-coverts, and sides 
of neck vinous-chestnut (male); ear-coverts and sides of neck faintly 
washed with reddish brown (female).........................- philippensis (p. 712) 
b*. Throat and breast streaked with dull olive-brown (young). 
philippensis (p. 712) 
726. STURNIA SINENSIS (Gmelin). 
GRAY-BACKED STARLING. 
Oriolus sinensis GMELIN, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, 394. 
Sturnia sinensis SHARPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 68; McGreaor, 
Bull. Philippine Mus. (1903), 1, 6; McGreacor and WorcEsTER, Hand- 
List (1906), 108. 
Calayan (McGregor) ; Luzon (McGregor, Celestino). China, Hainan, Formosa, 
Siam; in winter to Cochin China, southern China, Pegu, and Malacca. 
Adult male (Calayan Island, September).—Above smoke-gray ; fore- 
head whitish; primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts, and alula black 
slightly glossed with green, secondaries narrowly edged with white; 
secondary-coverts, scapulars, edge of wing, axillars, and wing-lining 
white; rectrices black, glossed with green, all but the middle pair with 
broad white tips; under parts white, light smoke-gray across the chest. 
Bill pale stone-gray; iris white; legs and nails light brown. Length, 
197; wing, 105; tail, 62; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 13; 
tarsus, 25. 
Adult female (Manila, January).—Very similar to the male from 
Calayan, but the white and gray areas dark smoky gray, probably due 
to smoke stain. Iris pale blue. Length, 190; wing, 100; tail, 57; 
| culmen from base, 19; tarsus, 25. 
Immature female (Manila, January).—Similar to the adult, but sec- 
ondary-coversts glossy black with light edgings. 
Male (Malabon, near Manila, March).—Similar to the male from 
Calayan, but fore part of head, face, chin, secondary-coverts, scapulars, 
upper tail-coverts, sides, flanks, under tail-coverts, and tips of rectrices 
ochraceous-buff. Wing, 102; tail, 60; culmen from base, 18; tarsus, 23. 
