24 AI.LKN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



to that of the Corvidcz as regards the wings and feet, the Star- 

 lings are very different in the shape of their bill and swollen 

 nostril, and also in the form of the wing, which is very much 

 pointed and possesses only nine primary quills. All the true 

 Starlings nest in holes, and lay eggs of a bluish white or pale 

 blue colour, without spots. 



THE TYPICAL STARLINGS. GENUS STURNUS. 

 Sturnus, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 291 (1766). 

 Type, S. vulgaris Linn. 



Starlings, of the same type as our familiar English bird, are 

 about ten in number, and are all confined to the Old World. 

 Of these no less than six are found in India, two being resident, 

 and the other four winter visitants from their more northern 

 breeding-places. Sturnus unicolor belongs to the Mediterranean 

 sub-region, S. caucasicus and S. purpurascens to the Mediter- 

 raneo-Persic sub-region, and S. poltoratzkii to the Mongolian 

 sub-region. 



The typical species of the genus is Sturnus vulgaris of 

 Linnaeus, from Sweden, and this bird is widely spread over 

 Europe, but in Siberia it is replaced by a purple-headed race, 

 S. menzbieri^ which winters in India, and between those two 

 forms an intermediate form, which I think ought to be 

 separated from both and called by a separate name. It 

 occurs in different parts of Europe, and even visits England, 

 especially the eastern counties. 



THE COMMON STARLING. STURNUS VULGARIS. 

 (Plate III., Fig. /.) 



Sturnus vulgaris. Linn., S. N., i., p. 290 (1766); Dresser, B. 



Eur., iv., p. 405, pi. 247 (1874) ; Newt. ed. Yarr., ii., p. 



228 (1877) ; B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 65 (1883); Saunders 



Man., p. 217 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., xiii., p. 



27 (1890); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. xxii. (1892). 

 Sturnus guttatus, Macg., Br. B., i., p. 595 (1837). 



Adult Male. Black, with reflections of green and purple and 

 violet ; the mantle bronzy purple ; head, sides of face, and 

 ear-coverts green ; sides of body and flanks bluish purple, the 



