554 
Birds of Celebes: Sturuidae. 
Distribution. “The greater part of Europe, local in many places; eastward to Siberia, to 
Japan and China; N. E. Africa; Central Asia, Persia, and Afghanistan; the Himalaya 
Mountains eastward to Assam, Burmah, and through Tenasserim and the Malay 
Peninsula to Java” (Sharpe 5). 
In the East Indies: Singapore (Davison 3); Sumatra (Hagen); Java (Vorder- 
man I, 2); South Celebes — Macassar (P. & E. Sara sin S); Philippines — Luzon 
(Steere al), Cebu (Bourns & Worcester 8). 
The first record of the occurrence of the Tree Sparrow in Celebes is due 
to the Sarasins, Avho obtained two males in the town of Macassar in July, 
1895. The bill of these specimens is entirely black, whereas in European 
examples it is yellow at the base. In Europe the Tree Sparrow breeds in holes 
in trees and resorts to the open country ; in the East it is partial to the towns 
and makes its nest by preference in holes in houses, so replacing the House 
Sparrow in these parts. At Batavia, according to Dr. Vorderman, it is the 
commonest bird, and does much harm there by pecking holes in the plaster 
walls of houses, owing to which and to the heavy rains he has even seen houses 
reduced to ruins. 
FAMILY STURNIDAE. 
I'he Starling-family may be distinguished from the Timeliidae by the com- 
paratively long wing; from the Corvidae by the absence of projecting bristles 
covering the nostrils (though the nostrils are sometimes hidden by the pro- 
jecting frontal plumes) and generally by their smaller size; from the Tnrdidae 
by the tarsus scutellated anteriorly from top to bottom. The first primary is 
minute, the second reaches nearly or quite to the tip of the wing. Many of 
the species are gregarious, noisy, of excellent flying-powers; sometimes migratory. 
GENUS CALORNIS G. R. Gray. 
Plumage with a strong metallic gloss, sexes similar; young streaked below 
and not metallic. Arboreal; gvegarious. Culmen about as long as the cranium, 
its keel high, decurved; nostril small, roundish, exposed; wing long, the second- 
aries about % its length, P* primary minute, tip of wing formed by 2"'^ — d***. 
Tarsus short, shorter than middle toe and claw, like the feet black in colour. 
Tail rounded or graduated, varying much in length according to the species. 
The genus belongs to the Indo- Australian area. 
231. CALORNIS PANAYENSIS (Scop.). 
Philippine Glossy Starling. 
Of this species five races have been recognised by Dr. Sharpe (Cat. B. 
XIII, 1890, 143 — 148), who, however, wrongly takes the form found from Java 
