SPODIOPSARSTUMNIA 403 



< ad. (Japan). Crown blackish, the forehead intermixed with white, 

 the feathers elongated and lanceolate ; upper parts generally dark earth- 

 brown, the upper tail-coverts white ; quills blackish, the primaries 

 narrowly, the secondaries broadly margined with white ; tail blackish, 

 broadly terminated on the inner webs with white ; ear-coverts white, 

 finely streaked with black ; throat, breast, and flanks slaty blackish, the 

 last paler ; rest of the under parts white ; bill orange, the tip horny, the 

 base of the lower mandible and the angle of the mouth brownish green ; 

 legs yellow ; iris brown surrounded by white. Culmen 1'2, wing 5*1, tail 

 2*7, tarsus 1*2 inch. The female has the upper parts duller, the chin 

 white, the throat dull slaty brown, the breast pale brown marked and 

 streaked with white, and the flanks pale brown. The young is russet 

 brown, the inner webs of the tail-feathers are tipped with white, the 

 quills are margined with paler brown, the ear-coverts whitish and the 

 chin nearly pure white. 



Hob. Eastern Siberia, Mongolia, N. China, Corea, and Japan, 

 wintering in South China ; a rare visitant to Burma. 



This species frequents the plains where trees are scattered 

 about and appears to be somewhat shy in its habits, In the 

 winter it wanders about the country in large flocks. Its nest is 

 placed in the hollow of an old tree and its eggs, 3 to 5, some- 

 times as many as 7 in number, are usually deposited in May. 

 These are pale blue or turquoise blue, occasionally slightly 

 dotted with brown and measure about 1*15 by 0*78. 



STURNIA, Less., 1837. 



574. DAURIAN STARLING. 

 STURNIA STURNINA. 



Sturnia sturnina (Pall.), Reis. Russ. R. iii. p. 695 (1776) ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. xiii. p. 71 ; (Gates) F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 530 ; S. 

 daurica (Pall), Act. Holm. 1778, p. 197, Taf. vii. ; (David and 

 Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 362 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 457. 



<J acL (China). Crown, neck, and breast ashy grey, becoming nearly 

 white on the throat and breast ; a nuchal patch, back, wings, and tail 

 glossy purplish black, quills white on most of the inner web, the 

 secondaries ashy grey on the basal half of the outer web ; wing-coverts and 

 scapulars broadly tipped with white ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 brownish isabelline ; flanks same as*the breast ; the rest of the under 

 parts white, the under tail-coverts washed with warm buff , bill blackish 

 brown, whitish at the base below ; legs dull earthy green ; iris dark 



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