1874.] DR. MURIE ON FREGILUPUS VARIUS. 485 



in the two former much narrower. Whilst Fregilupus and Sturnua 

 have extensive prsenares, these are reduced by ossification in XJpupa. 

 The much-lengthened tenuous prsemaxillae of the latter deceive at 

 first glance ; for, notwithstanding a certain beak-abbreviation in the 

 Common Starling, its palatal construction is in reality nearer our 

 bird. Admitting general and numerous resemblances in the base of 

 the skull of Fregilupus and Sturnus, the latter is nevertheless uncon- 

 formable in these particulars : — flatter, shorter prsemaxillse, and rela- 

 tively greater width at their maxillary junction ; proportional 

 slenderer palatine rods, plates, and maxillo-palatines ; preorbital 

 processes better-developed ; auditory cavity less open ; occipital pro- 

 tuberance higher, digastric fossa wider*, and, hence, ridged occipital 

 outline narrowed and lofty. In the shapes of the limb-bones the two 

 pretty much agree. The Starling, however, shows a deeper fossa 

 above the internal humeral condyle, deeper extensor metacarpal 

 sulci, but diminutive osseous bridge ; again the muscular impressions 

 and ridges of leg-bones are weaker. 



In Pastor (P. griseus) the breast- and shoulder-bones present 

 closer resemblances ; the pelvis, in detail, still more agrees with that 

 of Fregilupus ; its wing-bones, however, accord more with the 

 points indicated iu Sturnus ; but, on the contrary, its leg-bones have 

 features more after Fregilupus, e. g. inequality of tarso-digital 

 knuckles. These characteristics apply also to P. cristatellus. The 

 skull of the latter specimen examined by me was in a better condition 

 for comparison ; and to it I specially allude. Its premaxillary to 

 cranial length is as 10 to 11, in Fregilupus 15 to 12. Its prefrontal 

 and naso-maxillary breadth are relatively greater than in the latter. 

 With these exceptions, the differentiation is so graduated as not 

 easily to be expressed in words. Cut short the beak of Fregilupus, 

 compress slightly its root, and elevate the parietal by a mere shade, 

 and you convert it into a species of Pastor. Furthermore, the 

 tongue of P. ialla (Sturnopastor, Gray) I have found to resemble 

 that of Fregilupus ; only it is about one third shorter. 



In Gracula, G. intermedia (Eulabes, Cuv.), there is a wide remove. 

 Its sternum, shoulder-girdle, and pelvis doubtless retain the main 

 characters of Fregilupus ; but deviation occurs in the limb-bones in 

 several points : for example, there is but one pneumatic foramen, a 

 Corvine peculiarity. But the skull manifests the greatest change of 

 type — this by its remarkable breadth to length, elevated bossy pre- 

 frontals, ossified nasal septum, and a number of other particulars 

 needless for me to enter into. 



As respects proportions of limb-segments in the above three genera 

 of the Sturnidce, I have placed them opposite those of Fregilupus in 

 a tabular form. From these figures it results that Pastor simu- 

 lates and comes nighest the latter, tarsal to metatarsal even being 

 greater. 



* " Characteristic of the Sturnidae," Garrod, P. Z. S. 1872, p. G46. 



