NO. 15 BIRDS OF THE PACIFIC WAR AREA BAKER 7I 



Truk (A. o. angus) . Adult birds exhibit no marked differences in 

 color or size. The streaked underparts of juvenile birds from the 

 Marianas and of the single juvenile from Truk are brighter, while 

 the juveniles from Ulithi have duller underparts. The birds from 

 Ulithi are placed in A. o. angiis following the Handlist of Japanese 

 Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 188. The relation of these birds to A. o. 

 kiirodai Momiyama, from Yap, has not been ascertained, since speci- 

 mens from that island are not available for examination. 



Starlings were numerous at Truk Atoll. McElroy reported that 

 the Japanese troops caught the birds for use as food. A number of 

 very young individuals were seen in November and December. A 

 male examined in December had enlarged testes. 



At Ulithi Atoll, starlings were abundant (pi. 5, fig. 2). In August 

 a large percent of the population had apparently just completed nest- 

 ing activities, since a number of young individuals were observed 

 being fed by adults. Most of the adults collected were in molt. Two 

 males had enlarged testes. Stomachs contained seeds and fruit parts. 

 The natives at Fassarai Island considered the birds to be a choice 

 food item. 



APLONIS OPACUS ORII (Takatsukasa and Yamashina) 



Aplanis opaca orii Takatsukasa .\xd Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, vol. 43, 

 1931, p. 458. (Coror, Pelew Islands.) 



Palau Islands (Peleliu Island) : Asias — -i male, August 31 ; South- 

 eastern Peninsula — 3 males, 2 juvenile males, i juvenile female, 

 August 28, 29, 30, September 5 ; Ngesebus Island — i juvenile female, 

 September 20 ; Garakayo Island — 2 juvenile females, September 19. 



The amount of green gloss on the feathers of these specimens does 

 not dififer markedly from that found on the Ulithi birds (A. 0. 

 angns). As is stated in the original description, there is some differ- 

 ence in the depth of the bill of these races. The bill depth (at the 

 nostril) of the Palau birds measures between 7 and 8, with one at 

 8.5, while the bill depth of Ulithi specimens measures between 8 and 

 9. Birds from the Palaus have the lower edge of the mandible gen- 

 erally straighter while in the Ulithi birds this lower edge curves 

 downward slightly adding to the depth. Juvenile specimens from the 

 Palaus have dull underparts similar to those of juveniles from Ulithi. 

 There is no size difference between birds of the two island groups. 



Many of the adults taken in August and September were in molt. 

 Stomachs contained seeds, fruit parts, and insects. 



