SPODIOPSAR. 713 



The violet-backed starling, like the next preceding species, is of irreg- 

 ular occurrence in these Islands. A very large flock was observed on 

 Calayan Island in October, 1903. 



"A winter migrant occasionally met with in small flocks. Three males 

 from Tawi Tawi average: Length, 180; wing, 100; tail, 52; culmen, 

 17.5; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 25. Two females, length, 178; 

 wing, 103; tail, 51; culmen, 17; tarsus, 23; middle toe with claw, 27. 

 Iris black; legs and feet dark olive; upper mandible black, lower black 

 at tip, gray at base." (Bourns and Worcester MS.) 



Genus SPODIOPSAE Sharpe, 1889. 



Similar to Sturnia, but bill longer and more slender; feathers of 

 occiput and nape lanceolate, forming a short broad crest. 



Species. 



a 1 . Wing shorter ; outer webs of primary-coverts white; bases of primaries white. 



sericeus (p. 713) 



a 2 . Wing longer; outer webs of primary-coverts seal-brown; bases of primaries 

 brown cineraceus (p. 714) 



728. SPODIOPSAR SERICEUS (Gmelin). 

 SILKY STARLING, 



Sturnus sericeus GMELIN, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, 805. 



Heterornis sericea CASSIN, Ornith. Perry Japan Exped., Washington (1856), 

 2, 238, pi. 5. 



Poliopsar sericeus SHARPE, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 44 (generic 

 name emended to Spodiopsar, addenda, p. 665 ) . 



Spodiopsar sericeus MCGREGOR, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 4, 24; MC- 

 GREGOR and WORCESTER, Hand-List (1906), 108. 



Calayan (McGregor). Central and southern China. 



"Adult. General color above light ashy gray, a little darker on the 

 hind neck, where the feathers are long and lanceolate; scapulars like the 

 back, externally white, with a subterminal shade of black; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts a little lighter gray, with ashy whitish margins; lesser 

 wing-coverts blackish, edged with slaty gray; median coverts glossy 

 purplish black; greater coverts black, externally glossy green, with 

 purple reflections, velvety black interiorly; alula-feathers black, exter- 

 nally white; primary-coverts white, black near the center of the tips of 

 the feathers; quills black, the primaries externally glossy purple, and 

 white at the extreme base; the secondaries externally glossy green, like 

 the greater coverts, bluish or purple toward the ends ; center tail-feathers 

 glossy green, the remainder black, externally bluish green or purple; 

 crown of head and nape, sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, sides 

 of neck, and fore neck white, followed by an ashy gray breast; abdomen 

 white; sides of body and flanks pale ashy gray tinged with brown; thighs 



