514 EULABETLDJE. 



Distribution. Ceylon. 



Habits, Sfc. Breeds in June, July, and August. The eggs, two 

 in number, measure about 1-3 by '97. 



Genus CALORNIS, Gray, 1841. 



The genus Calornis comprises some birds which are frequently 

 termed Glossy Starlings or Tree-Stares. They are largely repre- 

 sented in South-eastern Asia and range to Australia. I do not 

 know how far the Glossy Starlings of Africa are related to the 

 Glossy Starlings of Asia, but there seem to be important differences 

 between some of them. 



In Calornis the plumage is highly glossy ; the bill is stout with 

 the culmen curved ; the nostrils small and round ; the wing sharp 

 and long ; the tail moderate in length and considerably graduated, 

 and the foot strong. 



Fig. 152. Head of C. chalybeius. 



Only one species of Calornis occurs in India, and of this species 

 the insular race from the islands of the Bay of Bengal is subject to 

 some variation in colour. 



527. Calornis chalybeius. The Glossy Calornis. 



Turdus chalybeus, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 148 (1821). 

 Turdus strigatus, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. ]48 (1821). 

 Lanius insioiator, Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 307 (1821). 

 Calornis cantor (Gm.), apud Blyth, Cat. p. 111. 

 Calornis affinis, A. Hay, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xv, pp. 36, 369 (1846) ; 



Blyth, Cat. p. Ill ; Wold. Ibis, 1875, p. 461. 

 Calornis chalybeus (Horsf.}, Horsf. $ M. Cat. ii, p. 543 ; Hume # 



Dav. S. F. vi, p. 394; Hume, Cat. no. 690 bis; Oates,B.B.\, 



p. 390 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 143 ; Gates in Hume's N. fy E. 



2nd ed. i, p. 367. 

 Calornis tytleri, Hume. S. F. i, p. 480 (1873) ; id. N. $ E. p. 434 ; 



id. S. F. ii, p. 253 ; id. Cat. no. 690 ter. 

 Calornis irwini, Hume, S. F. i, p. 481 (1873). 



Coloration. The lores and feathers at the base of the upper 

 mandible black without gloss ; with this exception, the whole plu- 

 mage black with a brilliant green gloss ; wings and tail black with 

 only a faint bluish gloss. 



The young have the upper plumage brown overlaid with green ; 

 the wings brown, edged paler ; the lower plumage buflfy white, 

 streaked with greenish brown. 



