apparently undescribed Species of Sturnus. 439 



Of this well-marked form the Museum possesses a good 

 series of birds in breeding-plumage from Afghanistan, and 

 in winter dress from the plains of India. Mr. Seebohm also 

 has three from Saharunpur. Mr. Dresser has apparently 

 figured this red-backed form as the adult of S. purpurascens ; 

 but no Asia Minor skins in the Museum or in Mr. Seebohm's 

 collection can be mistaken for the Indian bird. 



Sturnus caucasicus, Lorenz, is a perfectly good species, 

 representing S. poltaratzkii in the Caucasus. It differs, 

 however, from that species in having a dark green head. 



Sturnus poltaratzkii, Finsch, is, as Mr. Seebohm has 

 already discovered, Mr. Hume^s Sturnus nobilior, the types of 

 which the Museum now possesses. 



I add a ' Key ' to the species of Sturnus, about which the 

 only thing that strikes me as remarkable is the necessity for 

 admitting Sturnus vulgaris to both sections, as the breeding- 

 plumage is often intensely purple above, and approaches 

 that of S. minor arfd others of the purple-winged group. 



Genus Sturnus, L. 



Clavis Specierum. 



a. Pileo dorsoque concoloribus. 



a'. Scapularibu3 viridibus (cbalybeo vel seneo nitou- 

 tibus). 

 n". Tectricibus aliirum viridibus vel clialybeo- 

 viridibus. 

 a'". Pectore viridi : bypochondriis chalybeis vel 

 purpurasceuti-caeruleis. 



a*. Pileo gulaque viridibus vulgaris, hiem. 



i^. Pileo gulaque rubescenti-purpureis meHzb/'eri. 



b'". Pectore jeneo- vel cupreseenti-viridi : pileo 



viridi indicus. 



b" . Tectricibus alarum violaceis vel purpurascentibus, 

 baud viridescentibus : pileo gulaque purpuras- 

 centibus poltaratzkii. 



c". Tectricibus alarum Isete chalybeis aut chalybeo- 

 viridibus, extus rubescenti-purpureis : pileo 



gulaque viridibus cnucasicus, 



b'. Scapularibus rubescenti- vel cyanescenti-purpureis, 

 hand viridescentibus. 



