^8 INSESSORES. STURNID^. 



the feathers silky and loose. Cheeks, neck, breast, belly, 

 and flanks, bright tile-red. Rump and vent white. 

 Greater wing-coverts tipped and margined with pinkish- 

 white, forming a transverse bar across the wing. Legs 

 blackish-brown. 



Fig. 2. The female, also of the natural size. 

 Female. Under parts of a pale broccoli-brown, slightly tinged with 

 tile-red. Upper parts bluish-grey, tinged with yellow- 

 ish-brown. In other respects marked like the male, 

 but with the colours not so bright. 



Family IT.— STURNID^, Vigors, 



In addition to the true Starlings (genus Sturnus, Auct.) 

 we find a considerable number of groups (some confined to 

 the New and others to the Old Continent) allied to them in 

 habits, and preserving a continuous chain of affinities, which 

 together constitute the present family, considered one of the 

 typical divisions of the Conirostral tribe. By Mr Swainson 

 the subordinate groups that compose the circle of the family 

 are thus named, Sturnina and Lamprotornina, the typical 

 groups (both of which are confined to the Old World) ; and 

 Agelaina, Icterina, and Scaphadurina, the aberrant groups. 

 These latter belong to the American Continent, and were, 

 for the greater part, formerly arranged by the earlier syste- 

 matists in the genus Oriolus. By means of certain species of 

 the subfamily Agelaina^ in whom the bill is thick, pointed, 

 and finch-like, and whose habits are chiefly granivorous, a 

 close connection is sustained with the Fringillidce ; and the 

 passage from the one family to the other is rendered easy 

 and gradual. In Europe we can shew examples of but one 

 subfamily, viz. Sturnina ; that of Lamproiornina being res- 

 tricted to the hot climates of Africa and Asia. 



