THE STARLING. 35 



than adult male. IMetallic colours not so brilliant, and in second- 

 aries and greater coverts much less in extent. 



Nestling. — ^Down, greyish-white, a shade darker on head, 

 faii'ly long and plentiful ; distribution, inner supra-orbital, 

 occipital, humeral, spinal, ulnar, femoral, and ventral. Mouth, 

 inside orange, no spots ; flanges broad and lemon-yellow (C. B. 

 Ticehurst, Brit. B., ii, p. 194). 



Juvenile. Male and female. — ^All upper-parts dark mouse-brown ; 

 chin and centre of throat whitish, flecked brown ; breast and flanks 

 brown ; belly bro\^ n, streaked greyish-white ; axillaries pale brown ; 

 under and upper tail -coverts brown, with slight edgings and tips 

 of buff ; tail-feathers dark browTi narrowly margined buff ; 

 primaries same ; secondaries, primary-coverts, and greater coverts 

 with broader buff edgings. N.B. — Juvenile specimens from Shetland 

 appear to be very dark. 



First wiriter. Male and female. — ^Like adults but body -feathers 

 broader and less pointed, and buff and white tips 

 larger and rounder, giving very spotted appear- 

 ance in winter (when freshly-moulted chin appears 

 uniform white and fore-head buff). The juvenile 

 plumage is completely (including wings and tail) 

 moulted in July-Sept. First summer. — Spots wear 

 off considerably, but not so much as in adults, 

 and metallic colours are less briUiant and second- 

 aries and greater coverts have less gloss than in 



I 1 , " ° Feathers from lower- 



aauitS. throat of c? adult 



Measurements and structure. — ^ wmg 125-132, (right-hand) and ^ 

 tail 64-68, tarsus 28-30, bill from nostril 17-20, a^st winter (left- 

 biU width at nostril 7-8 (12 measured). ? wmg ^^""^^ starhngs. 

 122-127. Primaries : 1st small and pointed, 

 7-11 mm., longer than under wing-coverts, 2nd and 3rd about 

 equal and longest, rest becoming shorter in steps of 4-10 mm. ; 

 2nd and 3rd emarginated outer webs. Secondaries about equal 

 10th primary. Tail fairly square, slightly rounded laterally. 



Soft parts. — Bill in winter brown with base of under mandible 

 dull yellow, in summer (beginning change January) lemon-yellow ; 

 legs and feet reddish-bro\vn ; iris, male dark brown, female same 

 but with narrow yellomsh- white outer ring, young grey-bro\vn. 



Chabacters and allied forms. — -S. V. faroensis (Fseroes) is larger 

 and darker (especiaUy in juvenile -plumage), *S^. v. granti (Azores) 

 has very small first primary, *S^. v. poltaratskyi (Siberia, southwards 

 in winter) has purple head and throat and green mantle, 8. v. 

 purpurascens (Asia Minor to north-west India) has green head and 

 throat, purple mantle and breast, and very dark axillaries, 8. v. 

 grcecus and ;S'. v. halcanicus (south-east Europe) are much like 

 last ; many other forms differing in distribution of metallic colours 

 and in size. 



D 2 



