STARLING. 171 



doubly semicircular, and reaching only nine lines beyond 

 the tips of the closed wings. The beak is eleven lines 

 from the forehead to the tip, and one inch four lines from 

 the tip to the gape, which extends to beneath the eye. 

 The form of the head is very flat, and describes nearly a 

 straight line with the beak. The tarsi are shorter than the 

 middle toe, which measures, with its claws, one inch two 

 lines. 



The Starling is a bird of very handsome plumage, the entire 

 head, back, breast, and under parts, as well as the back and 

 scapulars, are black, beautifully and richly glossed with green, 

 purple, and crimson, when seen in different lights : every 

 feather of these parts, and they are almost innumerable, are, 

 in autumn, tipped with white or cream coloured spots, which 

 shine like pearls. 



The primary quills with their coverings, the secondaries 

 and tertials are rich purplish brown, bordered with pale rusty 

 yellow : the rest of the wing-feathers are black with green re- 

 flections, and similarly edged. The tail resembles, in colour, 

 the primary quills. The upper tail-coverts are black, glossed 

 with green and edged with pale rust : the under are pure black, 

 bordered with white. The iris is rich chesnut brown. The 

 whole bird so gay in his clothing, so pert and self-suffi- 

 cient in his actions, bears much resemblance to a gold-laced 

 footman. 



Towards the spring of the year, many of the white tips 

 and edges wear away, and the bird presents a less gay ap- 

 pearance. The legs are mahogany colour; the beak rich 

 yellow. 



In very old males the head, neck, and breast, lose all the 

 pearl-like spots, and resemble the figure in our plate. 



In the female the white spots and yellow edges are larger 

 and broader than in the males ; but in. other respects they are 

 not dissimilar. Young birds before their autumnal moult have 



