417 



with it in Palestine, and writes (Ibis, 1867, p. 367) that it visits the Plain of Sharon, but does 

 not, as in Algeria, remain to breed, and departs at the end of February. It is not recorded by 

 any of the writers on the ornithology of North-east Africa as having been met with in that 

 country ; but it occurs in the north-western portion of that continent. In Algeria, according to 

 Loche, it is much less common than Sturnus vulgaris in the provinces of Algiers and Oran ; but 

 he states, on the authority of Malherbe, that in Constantine it is more numerous than that 

 species. Malherbe himself (Mem. Ac. Roy. Metz, 1843, p. 153) says that he obtained specimens 

 from Ghelma and Oran, which were killed in the month of December. Mr. L. Taczanowski 

 only observed a few between Jemmapes and Ajmokra. Mr. O. Salvin (Ibis, 1859, p. 313) " saw 

 it at Kef, in the Regency of Tunis, subsequently at Djebel Dekma, and lastly at Zana;" and 

 Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake, in his notes on the ornithology of Tangier and Eastern Morocco 

 (Ibis, 1867, p. 428), found it " more common at Tetuan than at Tangier." 



The Sardinian Starling is recorded as having occurred in India; and Dr. Jerdon states 

 (B. of I. ii. p. 332) that it is common in Scinde, the Punjab, and Cashmere; but subsequent 

 investigation has proved that the present species does not occur there, but has been confounded 

 with an allied though perfectly distinct form, Sturnus nitens, Hume, which, though unspotted, in 

 coloration much more closely resembles the common Starling than the present species. 



When in Spain in 1866 I frequently saw this Starling, and found it tolerably common near 

 Madrid in the month of May, when it was breeding. In its habits and note it closely resembles 

 our common Starling, and is quite as noisy at its nesting-place as that bird. I saw a colony 

 which evidently had their nests in the hollow branches of a grand old white poplar tree ; but, 

 owing to the size of the tree, and not having ropes with us, I could not succeed in exploring 

 the holes into and out of which they were flying, and, as my stay in the neighbourhood was very 

 short, I never had an opportunity of taking their eggs with my own hands. In their flight they 

 resembled Sturnus vulgaris, and when seated on the tops of the lofty trees they uttered the same 

 clear prolonged whistle that is so characteristic of our common Starling. Their nest is con- 

 structed like that of the common Starling, being merely a loose lining of grass, straws, and 

 feathers placed on the bottom of the hole which it has selected for the purpose of nidification. 

 The eggs, from four to six in number, closely resemble those of the common Starling. Specimens 

 I have in my collection from Spain are, if any thing, a trifle deeper in colour. 



Temminck (I. c.) states that the present species was described by De la Marmora in a paper 

 read before the Royal Academy of Sciences at Turin, 28th August, 1819; but I could find no 

 such paper, and Professor Newton has called my attention to a statement by Bonelli (Mem. dell. 

 Real. Accad. dell. Sc. di Torino, xxv. p. 261) which clearly shows that the paper was never 

 published. 



The specimens figured are an adult male shot by myself and a female obtained near Seville, 

 both being in my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



M 



