DETAILED LIST OF BIRDS. 
251 
I see that both in plumage and dimensions they differ toto 
ccelo — <S. nitens is absolutely speckless, and is much smaller. 
I quote the following from Mr. Gould's work : — 
Sturnus purpurascens. 
Dimensions. — Length, 8 5 ; bill, 1-25 ; wing, 575 ; 
tail, 3 ; tarse, 1-12.'' 
Description. — " Bill yellow ; feet reddish brown. 
Plumage. — " Face, head, throat, and neck deep bronze, 
passing into green on the upper part of the back and 
breast ; lower portion of back and upper tail coverts purplish 
blue ; abdomen dusky brown with a bronzy lustre ; wing- 
coverts deep coppery or bronzy red ; wings greyish brown, 
each feather bordered by a velvet-like line of black, showing 
very conspicuously on the tips of the secondaries : tail 
similar, but the velvet edging not so well defined; under 
tail- coverts black, tipped with white, a few of the feathers 
on the upper part of the back and on the upper tail-coverts 
•with a spot of white at the tip.'' 
Compare with the above : — 
Sturnus nitens, nobis. 
Dimensions. — Length, 7*75 to 8 ; bill, 0 95 ; wing, 4'6 
to 4*9; tail, 2*6; tarse, 11. 
Description. — Bill yellow ; feet dull, or slightly brownish 
red. 
Plumage. — Face, head, throat, a deep blue purple, the ear 
coverts alone having in some lights greenish reflections. 
Neck all round, upper back and breast a bright ruddy 
purple. Lower portion of back, and upper tail-coverts with 
a coppery and green gloss. Abdomen black, with a green 
metallic gloss. Wing-coverts dark green, with, in some 
lights a slight golden tinge. Wings, with the primaries 
and their greater coverts and the earlier secondaries towards 
their bases very narrowly, but very distinctly, edged with 
white. Quills greyish brown, outer webs of primaries 
inside the white edging black, with a narrow band of the 
same colour at the tip ; secondaries and tertiaries similar, 
but only about the outer half of the outer web black, and 
the greater portion of this, in fact all but the tips, overlaid 
