sturnidjE. 65 



[Genus SCOLECOPHAGXIS, Swainson, Faun. Bor.-Amer. 

 ii. p. 494 (1831). 



Scolecophagus = worm-eating, from tricwX))! + fayeTv. 



Scolecophagus ferrugineus. Rusty Geackle. 



Oriolus ferrugineus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. p. 393 

 (1788). 



Ferruffmeus = of the colour of iron-rust, ferrugo, from ferrum = iron. 



One was shot near Cardiff, October 4, 1881 (Seebohm, 

 P. Z. S. 1881, p. 968) . Common in North America, breeding 

 in the northern regions, up to the limit of forest-growth, from 

 Labrador to Alaska, and migrating southwards in winter.] 



Family STUENID^. 

 Genus STTJRNUS, Linnaus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 290 (1766). 



Sitirnus, the name in Pliny, perhaps akin to 4'°P' ^Mx, turdus, trissdre = 

 to twitter (Vani9ek). The deriTation from Stella = a star, is elefirly fanciful ; 

 " Starling " is merely the diminutive of " stare," German " Staar," from the same 

 root as sitirnus. 



Sturnus vulgaris. Staeling. 



Sturnus vulgaris, Linnaus, S. N. i. p. 290 (1766). 



Sturnus vulgaris, Naum. ii. p. 187; Hewitson, p. 216; Gray, 

 p. 91 ; Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 40; id. ed. 3, ii. p. 44; Newton, 

 ii. p. 228 ; Gould, iii. pis. 53, 54 ; Hurting, p. 30 ; 

 Dresser, iv. p. 405. 



Sturnus guttatus, Macg. i. p. 595. 



Common Starling, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 44. 

 Vulgaris = common. 



Resident or locally migrant throughout the British Isles. 

 It occurs from the Azores to Persia and Northern India ; rare 

 north of lat. 60° N. ; a winter visitant to the shores of the 

 Mediterranean. 



