26 SECOND YAHKAND MISSION. 



52. Sturnus porphyronotus. 



Sturnus unicolor (nee T.) ; Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. p. 64 (1873) ; Dresser, Ibis, 1875, p. 238. 



Sturnus vulgaris (nee L.) ; Hume & Henders. Lahore to Yark. p. 250 (1873) ; Scully, Str. F. iv. p. 162 



(1876). 

 Sturnus purpwascens (nee Gould) ; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 79 ; Scully, ibid. p. 573; Severtz. Ibis 1883 



p. 55. 

 Sturnus porpJiyronotus, Sharpe, Ibis, 1888, p. 438 ; Gates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, i. p. 521 (1889)- 



Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 38, pi. 2 (1890). 



No. 921. Sanju, November 1, 1873. — Length 9 inches, wing 5, tail 2*6, tarsus 1*2; 



expanse 14*7 ; bill from front 0*97, from gape 1*36. Iris very narrow, light brown ; 



bill black ; feet reddish brown. 

 No. 246. Sanju, November 1, 1873. 

 No. 989. Yarkand, November 9, 1873. 

 Nos. 1009, 1010. Yarkand, November 12, 1873. 

 No. 1291. Kashghar, February 2, 1874. 

 No. 1774 Kashghar, May 23, 1874. 



Dr. Scully says that this Starling is a very common bird in the plains of Kashgharia. 

 Erom about the end of February to the beginning of August the bird literally swarms in the 

 neighbourhood of Yarkand, but it was never observed south of Karghalik ; in the depth of 

 winter it appears to migrate south-eastwards, but a few Starlings were seen even in January, 

 between Kashghar and Yarkand. Turki name Kara Kuchhach, i. e. '" Blackbird." Dr. Scully 

 gives an account of the nidifi cation of the species. 



Writing from Yarkand, Dr. Stoliczka says that this species must begin breeding in the 

 second half of April. It builds in holes of houses, walls, and chattis, &c. The eggs are pale blue. 



Colonel Biddulph obtained this Starling in Kashghar in March and at Sanju on the 31st 

 of October. He writes : — '' Very common in the plains of Yarkand. I don't remember seeing 

 it about Kashghar in the depth of winter, nor did we meet with it anywhere in the hills." 



Genus PASTOR. 



53. Pastor roseus. 



Turdus roseusj Linn. Sjst. Nat. i. p. 294 (1766). 



Pastor roseus (L.) ; Horsf . & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.I. Co. ii. p. 539 (1856) ; Dresser, Ibis, 1875, p. 238 -, 



Scully, Str. F. iv. p. 164 (1876); Blanf. East. Persia, ii. p. 267 (1876); Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 79; 



Swinlioe, Ibis, 1882, p. Ill ; Severtz. Ibis, 1883, p. 55; Homeyer & Tancre, MT. orn, Ver. Wien', 



1883, p. 89 ; Zarudn. Ois. Transcasp. p. 58 (1885) ; Radde, Ornis, iii. p. 479 (1887) ; Scully, J. A. s! 



Beng. Ivi. p. 86 (1887) ; Sbarpe, Trans. Linn. Soc. (2) Zool. v. p. 82 (1889) ; id. Cat. B.' Brit! 



Mus. xiii. p 65 (1890) ; Gates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, i. p. 518 (1889). 

 Sturnus roseus (L.) ; Severtz. Turkest, Jevotn. p. 64 (1873). 



No. 681, 2 juv. Indus valley, south of Chimray, September 13, 1873.— Total length 9 

 inches, wing 5*1, tail 2-72, tarsus 1-2. Iris dark brown; bill dusky brown, yellow 

 at base ; feet fleshy brown. 



Dr. Scully writes :— " A single specimen of the Rose-coloured Starling was obtained in 

 Eastern Turkestan in September. It is said to be common in Khokand and Badakshan, 

 where it feeds on mulberries ; and the Yarkandi bird-catchers sav that it only occurs as a 

 mere straggler in Kashgharia, a few birds being occasionally seen in the summer after the 

 prevalence of strong north-westerly or westerly winds. Its Turki name is Sdchr 



