438 Mr. E. Bowdler Sharpe on two 



XLV.-^Ow tiDO ai)jjarently undescribed Species of Sturnus. 

 By R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 



It seems somewhat strange that two birds, of which the 

 British Museum possesses an abundant series, should prove 

 to be unnamed, but such I believe to be the case. One of 

 these is the ordinary Starling of India, and the other is the 

 Indian representative of Sturnus purpurascens of Armenia. 



I cannot at the present moment go into the question of the 

 ranges of these two species, as I am waiting for additional 

 materials from some important European localities, and I 

 intend very shortly to publish a paper on the distribution of 

 the species of Sturnus. I therefore content myself with 

 giving diagnoses of the two undescribed forms. 



Sturnus menzbieri, sp. n. 

 S. similis S. vulgari, sed capite et gula tota rubescenti- 

 purpureis distinguendus. Long. tot. S'O, culm. 1-15, 

 alffi 5-05, caudse 2*35, tarsi \'\. 

 The Museum has this species marked by Mr. Robson as 

 S. vulgaris from Asia Minor, as well as several specimens 

 from Persia. It is the Starling of Krasnoyarsk, where Mr. 

 Seebohm procured it in breeding-plumage. The Museum 

 also has specimens from Afghanistan, and from all parts of 

 India from Scinde to Assam, and from Oude to Madras, so 

 that its range is immense. It is the species figured by Gould 

 in the ' Birds of Asia ' as Sturnus Jmmii ; but his description 

 applies to another bird, viz. S. indicus, Hodgs. {S. nitens, 

 Hume). 



The Oriental form of the Common Starling possesses green 

 scapulars like that species, and has of course green wing- 

 coverts. In the colours of the flanks it also approaches 

 S. vulgaris; but it may be separated at a glance by its purple 

 head and throat, which characters also distinguish it from 

 S. indicus. 



Sturnus porphyronotus, sp. n. 

 /S. similis S 2^urpurascenti, sed dorso rubescenti-purpureo, 

 uropygio concolore, distinguendus. Long. tot. 8*0, 

 culm. I'lSj alse 5*0, caudfe 2-45, tarsi 1'15. 



