THE



269



Hvlcultural /Iftagasme,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF THE


AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.



Ne 7 v Series —VO L. VI. — No. 10 .—All rights reserved. AUGUST, 1908 .



THE WHITE-BELLIED AMETHYST STARLING.


By Dr. Hopkinson, D.S.O.


The Amethyst Starling (Pholidauges leucogaster) is certainly

one of the loveliest of the smaller Gambian birds which I know

or have seen during my six years service in that part of West

Africa. It is, however, but rarely imported into Europe,—so

rarely that a male I brought home to the Zoo in 1906 was the first

specimen that they had ever had there, and, as far as I could

ascertain, the first to reach England alive. It is a pity from our

point of view that this is so, as judging from my experience with

the two males, which I have kept as cage-birds since I have been

in the Gambia, they are long lived and easily catered for in

captivity, while the male’s beautiful plumage—a metallic royal

purple set off by the purest white—must excite the admiration of

all and would ensure high honours on the show bench.


The plumage of the male is as follows : Whole upper sur¬

face including the wing-coverts, together with the sides of the

face, throat, and upper chest, royal purple with metallic re¬

flections, bluish or reddish according to the light or its angle of

incidence ; this varying sheen, under certain lights, often gives

the appearance of a glowing ember, so that the bird looks red,

although no sign of such colour is visible under ordinary illu¬

mination. The rest of the under surface is pure white with a

pale greyish tinge towards the sides. The lores, chin, a line

through the eye and the primary quills are black ; the edge of

the wing white, its under surface blackish grey ; tail feathers

blackish with a purple gloss above, except the two centre ones,

which are entirely purple ; below they are a very dark grey.



