522 



Legs and feet dark reddish brown ; bill blackish brown in winter ; 

 iris dark brown (flume)-, bill in summer yellow, dusky at tip 

 (Scully}. 



Length about 9 ; tail 2-8 ; wing 5-2 ; tarsus 1-2 ; bill from 

 gape 1-3. 



Distribution. A winter visitor to India. In the British Museum 

 there are specimens of this Starling from Kashmir, various parts of 

 the Punjab, Dehra, Saharanpur, Aligarh, and Etawah. 



This species summers in Turkestan, and is also found in Afghani- 

 stan, but probably only in winter. 



Habits, c. Breeds in Turkestan in May and June. According 

 to Scully the eggs measure 1-19 by '83. 



531. Sturnus minor. The Small Indian Starling. 



Sturnus minor, Hume, S. F. i, p. 207 (1873) ; Blanf. S. F. v, p. 246 ; 

 Hume, Cat. no. 681 bis; id. S. F. viii, p. 174; Doiy, S. F. viii, 

 p. 374 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 254 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 440 ; 

 id. Cat. B. M. xiii, p. 39 j Gates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. i, 

 p. 370. 



Coloration. Resembles S. humii. 



Gloss. Head, throat, and fore neck bronzy green ; back, rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and scapulars very rich purplish red ; wings 

 bronze-green ; breast reddish violet ; abdomen coppery bronze. 



Iris in male brown, in female pale whitish ; bill yellow, dusky at 

 tip; legs and feet claret-brown (Doig); the bill appears to be 

 brown in winter. 



Length about 8; tail 2*3; wing 4*5; tarsus 1-1; bill from 

 gape 1-2. 



Distribution. Permanently resident in Sind, and occurring as far 

 east as Etawah. 



Habits, fyc. Mr. Doig found this Starling breeding on the banks 

 of the Eastern Nara in Sind, from March to May, in holes of trees. 

 The eggs, frequently five in number, measure about 1*03 by *79. 



532. Sturnus menzbieri. The Common Indian Starling. 



Sturnus vulgaris, Linn., apud. Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 321 ; Hume, S. F. 



i, p. 206 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 221 j Hume, Cat. no. 681 ; id. S. F. 



viii, p. 175 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 329 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 253 ; 



Hume, S. F. xi, p. 260. 



Sturnus humii, Gould, B. Asia, v, pi. 43 (nee descr.). 

 Sturnus menzoieri, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 438 ; id. Cat. B. M. xiii. 



p. 33, pi. i. 



The Common Starling, Jerd. ; Telia-mama^ Hind. ; TiJora, at Ghazipur ; 

 Nakshi-telia, at Agra ; Tilgiri, Kaslim. 



Coloration. Resembles S. humii. Under wing-coverts brown, 

 broadly edged with buff. 



Gloss. Head, neck, and throat purplish red ; upper plumage and 

 wings bronze-green ; lower plumage greenish blue. 



