STURNUS. 363 



Sub-Family. STURNIN^E. 



Bill with the sides compressed, tip rather blunt and flattened ; wings long 

 and pointed ; tail rather short ; tarsi strong, scutate in front; toes long and 

 strong. . 



Gen. SturnUS- Linn. 



Bill sharp, straight, and with a conical groove; nostrils feathered; 2nd 

 quill longest. 



907. Sturnus vulgaris (Lin.), Gould, B. Eur. pi. 210; P. E. 76; 



Naum. vogt. t. 62 ; Jerd., B. Ind. ii p. 321, No. 68 1 ; Murray, Vert. Zool., 

 Sind, p. 178 ; id., Zool. Bel. and Afgh. The COMMON STARLING. 



Head, neck, nape, chin, throat, breast and back black, glossed with purple, 

 bronze, and green in different lights, the latter predominating on the head and 

 neck, each feather tipped with a small brownish white triangular or round 

 spot, which, in very old birds, wear out on the head and neck chiefly. Greater 

 and lesser wing coverts dusky, edged with pale reddish brown ; primaries, 

 secondaries and tertiaries also dusky, their outer webs glossed green, 

 margined with light reddish brown ; tail short, dusky, their outer webs 

 more or less glossed with green and edged with pale reddish brown or 

 buffish ; under tail coverts black, edged with white. Bill black ; legs dark 

 brownish red. 



Length. 9 inches ; wing 5 ; tail 3 ; bill at front 1*25. 



Hab. Europe, Asia, and India generally during winter, to the Himalayas. 

 More common in Sind and the North- West Provinces, associating in large 

 flocks. It is said by Theobald to breed in Cashmere. Eggs 4 6, pale bluish 

 green. 



908. SturnUS minor, Hume, Sir. F. \. p. 207; v. p. 328 ; Murray, 

 Hdbk., Zool., '8fc. y Sind, p. 175; id., Vert. Zool. Sind, p. 178; Str. F. 

 v. p. 328. The LESSER STARLING. 



"The general character of the plumage is like that of the ordinary Star- 

 ing, but in the first place, whereas in the common Starling the reflexions 

 of the head are purple and of the back green; in these birds, the head is 

 green and the back purple ; secondly, whereas in the common Starling the 

 wing varies from 5 to 5*35 and the tarsus from 1*1 to 1*2; in these birds the 

 wing is only 4-3 and the tarsus barely I ; the bills arc about the same length 

 as the common Starling, measuring exactly an inch in front, but they are 

 more pointed, have a more decided culmen ridge, and are less broad at the 

 base." (Hume.} 



Hab. Sind ; breeds from March to June. 



Eggs not unlike in shape those of the common Starling, but decidedly 

 smaller, a light pale bluish green, the shell finely pitted. 



