STURNIA. 711 



Species. 



a 1 . Primaries and secondaries without white edges; tail broadly tipped with 

 white, gray, or salmon-buff. 



6 1 . Secondary-coverts entirely white, light gray, or salmon-buff (adult). 



sinensis(p. 711) 



6 2 . Secondary-coverts black, edged with gray; or else some of the coverts white 



(young) sinensis (p. 711) 



a 2 . Outer primaries and secondaries edged with white on outer webs; tail without 



a light tip. 



ft 1 . 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) 



6 2 . 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 SHAEPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 68; McGBEGOB, 

 Bull. Philippine Mus. (1903), 1,6; MCGREGOR 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. 



