BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. , 393 



689 sext. — Sturnia sturnina, Pall. (8). Descr. S. F., 

 II., 249. 



Moulmein ; Amherst ; Tavoj ; Mergui. 



A rather rare cold weather visitant to the southern half of the 

 province. 



[A i*are bird in Tenasserim, most abundant in the dry forests 

 between Moulmein and Amherst. It goes about in small 

 flocks, and entirely resembles nemoricola in its voice and habits, 

 but is much more shy. — W. D.] 



The following- are dimensions, &c, recorded in the flesh of 

 one male and two females : — 



Male. — Length, 7*62 ; expanse, 13'12; tail from vent, 20; 

 wing, 4*36 ; tarsus, 1'50 ; bill from gape, 1*0. 



Females. — Length, 7*35 to 7-75 ; expanse, 12'6 to 1'32 ; 

 tail from vent, 2*1 ; wing, 4'1 to 4'12; tarsus, TO to 11 ; 

 bill from gape, 0*8 to 0"9 ; weight, 1*75 to 2 ozs. 



Legs and feet dull earthy green ; the bill varies from black 

 to brown and is greenish blue, or whitish at base of the lower 

 mandible. 



The young of this species is fully described, S. F., II., 251. 

 Considerably older examples are described by Mr. Blytb, 

 whose description is given on the page preceding that just 

 referred to, but he does not appear to have had perfect adults 

 before him. 



In the perfect adult the plumage of the two sexes is quite 

 alike. An obscure white line runs from the culmen over the 

 nostrils and lores to near the upper margin of the eye ; below 

 this the lores are pale brown ; the chin and just the upper part 

 of the throat are pale rather rufescent fawn ; the forehead, 

 crown, sides of the occiput and nape and upper portion of sides 

 of the neck, a delicate pale grey ; a large metallic purple spot on 

 the occiput ; the upper back grey, like the crown, but streaked 

 with metallic purple ; the whole of the rest of the back and the 

 rump and all the lesser wing-coverts, and the interior scapulars, 

 and the longest upper tail-coverts metallic purple ; visible 

 portions of the quills, except the margins of the 1st four primaries 

 and the greater coverts, metallic green ; all the quills margined 

 at the tips with velvet black ; the 1st four primaries margined 

 on the outer webs to near the tips with pale brownish fawn 

 color. A large patch of buffy fawn color at the base of all 

 the earlier secondaries ; the winglet black, edged exteriorly 

 with fawn color ; the edge of the wing just below this white 

 and pale brown ; the secondary median coverts, and sometimes 

 the first secondary greater coverts white, tinged with salmon 

 buff posteriorly which is the color of the longer outer scapu- 

 lars, and of a conspicuous longitudinal spot at the tips of the 



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