STURNID^E DENTIROSTRES. 79 



5. Loxia. The Crossbills precisely agree in their pterylosis, as also in the structure of the 

 wings, with the true Finches. 



6. Ploceus. The three species of this genus that I have examined, namely, frozia pJtilippina, 

 Ploceus personatus (Textor alecto TEMM., PL Col., 446), and Fringilla ignicolor VIEILL. (Oryx 

 ignicolor LESS.), have in the main the pterylosis of the Finches, and also a very distinct temporal 

 space ; but they have niticlt't'ii remiges, of which ten on the hand, the first exceedingly small, the 

 second somewhat abbreviated, and the third or fourth usually the longest. In P. philippinus 

 the saddle is nearly triangular, that is to say, abruptly truncated behind ; in P. personatus it 

 appears to enclose a small space immediately in front of the commencement of the rump- 

 tract. 



6. STURNID^E. 



To this group I refer the genera Psarocolius WAGL. (Icterus et Cassicits AUCTORUM), Oxy- 

 rhynchus, Sturnus, Pastor, TEMM. (Gracida LICHT.), Buphaga, Oriolus, and Sericulus. Of these 

 Oxyrliynclms and Psarocolius have only eighteen remiges, and nine on the hand, although I have 

 actually found ten in Ps. icterus WAGL., but the first was so small that I doubted whether it was 

 to be reckoned among the remiges. The other genera have nineteen remiges, of which ten are on 

 the hand. In these also the first primary is frequently of remarkably small size, especially in 

 Sturnus militaris (Ayelaius VIEILL.), S. capensis LINN., Pastor tristis WAGL., P. roseus, Buphaga 

 africana, and probably in all the species of Sturnus and Pastor. In Oriolus alone, which has 

 twenty remiges, it is half the size of the second. In other respects the pterylosis displays all the 

 characters of the Finches, namely, a dilatation of the pectoral tract somewhat separated at the 

 end, and a rhombic saddle in the spinal tract. In Bupliaga the latter encloses a very small space 

 in front of the commencement of the rump-band : this was also observed in some species of 

 Sturnus and Pastor; for example, in P. tristis and S. capensis. A very large space, occupying 

 the whole length of the saddle, occurs, however, in OxyrhyncJius cristatus and Sericulus regens. In 

 the true Orioli the space is not present, but at the same time the saddle is much narrower and 

 lanceolate (Plate III, figs. 7 and 8). In 0. gattula, also, I found no divergent portion at the 

 end of the dilatation of the very strong pectoral tract, although it occurs in 0. viridis and 

 0. melanocephalus, especially the latter. 



7. DENTIROSTRES, Cuv. 

 (LaniadtB et Muscicapidce, Auctorum). 



In this group, which contains a great number of species, I have met with the following 

 pterylographic differences. 



