vii STURNIDAE 559 



with olive spots. P. liumilis frequents more grassy ground up 

 to eleven thousand feet. 



Fam. XXIV. Sturnidae. The Starlings, apparently connect- 

 ing the Corvidae and the Icteridae, are divided by Mr. Gates * and 

 Dr. Sharpe 2 into Eulabetidae (Tree-Starlings) with rictal bristles, 

 more arboreal habits, and usually spotted eggs, and Sturnidae (Star- 

 lings proper) where the contrary holds good. 3 To these Buphaga 

 may be added for the present, in default of a better position. 



The bill is generally long and pointed especially in Sturno- 

 pastor, but is exceptionally slender in Cinnamopterus, shorter and 

 stouter in Basilornis, Buphaga, Pastor, Pholidauges, and Aplonis ; 

 being curved in the last three, and also in Fregilupus and Necropsar; 

 where it is longer. The anteriorly scutellated metatarsus is 

 ordinarily strong, and is shortest in the Tree -Star lings. The 

 wing is usually moderate, with small first primary, though it is 

 more elongated and pointed in Sturnus and Dilophus, rounded in 

 Sturnopastor, Temenuchus, and so forth, short in Coccycolius and 

 Bupliaga ; the secondaries have long filamentous basal append- 

 ages in Psaroglossa, and loose hair-like exterior webs in Onycho- 

 gnathus. The tail varies from short to long, from square to 

 much graduated ; it is forked in Sturnia, and may have acuminate 

 feathers ; while Macruropsar and Lamprotornis possess excep- 

 tionally developed rectrices, L. caudatus having the broad median 

 pair longer than the body. Lanceolate feathers commonly adorn 

 the neck and breast ; bushy crests occur in Pastor and Temenuchus, 

 smaller tufts in Sturnia, Basilornis, JZnodes, Fregilupus, Gracu- 

 lipica, Sturnornis and Acridotheres cristatellus ; recurved plumes 

 may cover the nostrils, as in Acridotheres, Ampeliceps, and Basil- 

 ornis ; while bare chins, orbits, or ear-patches of brown, yellow, 

 and the like are frequent. Charitornis has the throat and cheeks 

 naked ; Dilophus the head and throat bare, with two erect wattles 

 above and one below ; Sarcops dull-red naked orbits, and merely 

 a narrow feathered line down the crown ; Eulabes a yellow post- 

 ocular lappet forking to the back of the eye and the eyebrow, and 

 a yellow patch below ; Enodes a broad, superciliary wax-like red 

 line ; and Scissirostrum similar crimson feathers on the rump. 



1 Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds, i. 1889, p. 363. 



2 A Review of Recent Attempts to Classify Birds, 1891 (2nd Internal. Orn. Congress). 



3 For Paramythia montium, of New Guinea, a dull-blue bird with creamy head, 

 black crest and fore -neck, olive -green rump -region, yellow vent, and brownish 

 -wings ; cf. Sclater, Ibis, 1893, pp. 243-245 ; Hartert, Novitat. Zool. iii. pp. 13, 14. 



