STARLINGS 153 



as useful, and here is also included the celebrated Wattled 

 Starling (one of the Locust Birds), which will be found 

 described amongst the agriculturist's friends. 



A common member of this family is the Eed-shouldered 

 Glossy Starling {Lamprocolius phoenicopterus), commonly 

 known as the Green Spreeuw in the Eastern Province of 

 Cape Colony. It is of a brilliant metallic glossy green, blue 

 and purple. Length, lOJ inches. It inhabits the bushy 

 kloofs, usually laying four or five bluish-green eggs, spotted 

 with pale red-brown, in a hole in a tree. We found that the 

 soft euphorbias are very often utilised by these birds as 

 nesting sites. 



The true Green Spreeuw is confined to Cape Colony, it 

 being replaced in the Transvaal and Natal by a smaller sub- 

 species {L. f. hispecularis), which, in addition to being 

 smaller (length, 8J inches), has the back of a steel-green 

 colour instead of the oil-green tint which obtains in the larger 

 bird. They resemble one another in habits, being chiefly 

 frugivorous, but vary this with an occasional diet of insect 

 life. 



The next species is the Green-headed Glossy Starling 

 (L. sycobius), which ranges from the Central Transvaal 

 northwards. 



This bird is a little smaller than the lesser Green Spreeuw 

 (length, 8 inches), and has the head glossy oil-green, with a 

 coppery sheen in the sunlight. Its nesting habits are 

 similar to the preceding species, as are also its eggs. 



The Black-bellied Glossy Starling (L. melanogaster) is the 

 last representative of the genus we wiU deal with, and is 

 immediately distinguishable by its dull black belly. 



It ranges from Knysna, through Eastern Cape Colony 

 (where it is, however, not common), northwards to British 



