RECENTLY-DESCRIBED SPECIES. 409 



ably smaller than the adults, and the females being always small- 

 er than the males ; some quite young birds almost entirely lack 

 the rufescent tinge which is so characteristic of this species, and 

 which in the newly moulted adult approaches to that of Pyctorhis 

 sinensis. The plumage fades much by exposure ; and adults just 

 previously to moulting are met with of a dull, only slightly, 

 rufous brown. 



Sturnus nitens, Hume. See also, Lahore to YarkancU 

 Ornithology, p. 98.) 



Dimensions. — Length, 775 bill at front, 95 ; wing, 4'75 ; 

 tail, 2 "6 ; tarsus, 1*1. 



Description. — Bill yellow; legs and feet reddish brown. 

 Plumage. — Whole bird (adult) absolutely spotless. Face, head 

 and, throat deep purplish blue ; ear-coverts with a greenish gloss ; 

 neck all round, upper back, and breast a bright very ruddy 

 purple ; lower portion of back and upper tail-coverts with 

 a coppery and green gloss ; abdomen black, with a green 

 metallic gloss ; wing-coverts dark green, with a golden gloss ; 

 under tail-coverts black, Avith a faint purple and green gloss. 



This species is allied to S. unicolor of Europe, but differs in 

 being much smaller, having a much less compressed and more 

 spatulate shaped bill, much shorter breast-hackles, smaller feet, 

 feebler claws, and iu its brilliant plumage, so different from the 

 nearly uniform purplish black of the Sardinian Starling. 



Habitat. — Cashmere, Peshawur Valley, and Afghanistan. — 

 Ibis, 1871, p. 410. 



Geocichla tricolor, Hume. 



Dimensions (dry skin). — Length, 8*5 wing, 4'6 ; tail from 

 vent, 3*2; bill at front, 0*7; tarsus, 1*1. 



Description. — Bill yellow ; legs and feet fleshy yellow. Plu- 

 mage. — The whole head, neck, throat, breast, back, wings, 

 upper tail-coverts, and tail dusky blackish slate colour, almost 

 quite black upon the top and back of the head, greyer on back 

 and rump, and brown on quills and lateral tail feathers ; wing- 

 lining, lateral portion of upper abdomen, sides and tibial fea- 

 thers bright orange ferruginous ; centre of upper two-thirds of 

 abdomen, whole of lower two-thirds of abdomen, vent, flanks, 

 and lower tail-coverts, and the extreme tip of the chin pure white. 



Habitat.— m\\ Tipperah.— Ibis, 1871, p. 411. 



Dumeticola cyanocarpa, Hume. 



Dimensions. — Length, 7; wing, 2'85 ; tail, 3*4; tarsus, 115 ; 

 bill at front, 0*45. 



Description. — Bill, legs, and feet brown, the former dusky 

 on the upper mandible. Plumage. — The whole upper surface 



