A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGJ OF CASHMERE. 995 
The Greenish Willow-WTen — Phylloscopiis nitidus viridanvs; Blyth. 
This Willow wren was common on passage during the second week of May 
when two specimens were preserved. It was also I believe present a week or 
two earlier. 
The Himalayan Starling — Slurnits ndgaris hvmii. Brooks. 
On the upward journey of April 2nd Hume’s Starling was first observed at the 
108th mile and became gradually commoner along the road side as we drew nearer 
to Srinagar. In Srinagar itself the bird was most abundant and was still in large 
flocks, although the yellow bill of the breeding plumage had been assumed and 
the males were in song and some individuals were already at their nesting holes. 
I did not however secure any eggs before my departure. No Starlings were seen 
below Srinagar on the return journey. 
The song is of the usual Starhng character but not so loud as that of the tv’pical 
race : whilst it is uttered the wings are frequently flirted in the manner of the 
latter. I could detect no special characteristic in the habits of this race in 
Srinagar : the main stronghold of the birds was in the extensive groves of 
pollarded willows in the holes of w'hich they were obviously intending to breed, 
but pairs w^ere tenanting Chenar and other trees in the vicinit}’ of the houses, 
although I did not actually observ'e any attempt at occupying any holes under 
eaves or in walls. 
A series of 6 mates and 4 females was collected. ' Their measurements are as 
follows in millimetres : — 
Bill]. Bill j. Breadth Wing. Tail. Tarsus, 
skull. nostril. at nostril. 
Males 29—31-5 17—19-5 7—7-5 116—121 56—59 29-5—31-5 
Females 27-5—29-5 17—18-5 7—7-5 112-5—119 54—57-5 29-5—31 
The adult female differs from the adult male in having the body feathers shorter 
and broader so that on the mantle, scapulars, back and upper tail coverts the buff 
tips are less completely worn awaj- and those parts remain more spotted. The 
metallic gloss in less brilliant, and less extensive on the secondaries and greater 
coverts. The first summer birds, the males amongst which were certainly about 
to breed from the size of the testes, differ from the adults in the maikedly less 
brilliant gloss, and the presence of the buff spots of the w-inter plumage, but partly 
worn away, which remain throughout the plumage, and on the abdomen and rmder 
tail coverts stiU largely conceal the black. In the first winter plumage of this 
race the spots are so large that the abdomen appears almost white, (see Ihis. 1909, 
57). 
In this race the colour of the soft parts appears somewhat variable. In the 
adult male the iris is dark brown ; mouth livid fleshy, bill bright yellow, homy 
steel colour at base of lower mandible, nostril area horn colour ; feet salmon 
brown, tarsus darker, claws dusky horn darker toward tip. The immatui’e males 
show roughly the same colours. 
In the adult female the iris is pale yellow and the bill hoiny yellow, anterior 
half tinged with orange. The remainder is as in the male ; the immature females 
have the bill either homy mottled with brown and yellow, or bright yellow, 
with the base of the lower mandible horny. 
The range and migrations of the Himalayan Starling appear to be very imper- 
fectly know-n. Hartert (Vog. Pal. Fauna, I, 45) states that it breeds in the 
Himalaj-as from Cashmere to Nepal and in the N. W. Punjab, wintering in the 
plains of N. W. India. That it breeds in Cashmere has long been well known, and 
it undoubtedly breeds in the v-alley of Peshawar (cf . N. E. 2nd ed. I. 369). But I 
cannot trace the authority for the further extension of its breeding range eastward. 
It certainlj- does not breed in the Kangra Valley, Kulu, Lahul, Spiti, the Simla 
hills, or British Gahi-wal. Although I ha\-e paid particular attention to the 
masses of Starlings which visit the Punjab in winter I hav'e only met with this 
race in small numbers in the Kangra valley and in the district of Jhelum : here a 
