Order IT. PASSERES. 
Tribe TV. Conirostres. 
Family TIL Sturnidje. 
The fourth Subfamily, 
STURNINiE, or Starlings, 
have the Bill more or less long, with the culmen curved, or straight to the tip, which is obtuse, and 
somewhat flattened ; the Nostrils basal, placed in a membranous groove, and sometimes clothed with 
s hort feathers : the Wings moderate : the Tail rather short, and even or rounded : the Tarsi rather 
strong, and covered with broad scales : the Toes long and strong ; armed with strong acute claws. 
Pastor Temrn.* 
Bill rather short, with the culmen curved from the base, and the sides compressed to the tip, tvhich 
18 rather acute, and only slightly emarginated ; the lateral margins rather curved, and the gonys long 
an d ascending ; the nostrils basal, lateral, and placed in a short broad groove, which is membranous, and 
°thed with short feathers, with the opening oval. Wings long and pointed ; with the first quill 
T' 11 >°us, and the second the longest. Tail moderate and even. Tarsi nearly as long as the middle toe, 
1 a ^ ler strong, and covered with broad transverse scales. Toes long and rather slender ; the outer toe 
d ther longer than the inner, and united at the base ; the hind toe long ; the claws long, curved, and 
Ver y acute. 
j ar le s P e °ies of tliis genus inhabit Asia, Africa, and the temperate portions of Europe. They regularly migrate in 
'~ l , : ^ 0 °ks on the change of seasons, and exhibit great adroitness in searching the swampy ground for their food, which 
8ls ^ s °f insects (especially their larvae), fruits, and seeds. It is not unusual to observe these birds on the backs of 
c ’ Peking the insects that infest their hides. The note consists of a broken kind of whistle, varied by a sharp 
cry. r pi 
10 ne st is made in the holes of trees, and in old walls. 
t, j]g ^ ros eus (Linn.) Temm. PI. enl. 251., Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. 
2 p Wrdus seleucis Gruel. Gould B. of Eur. pi. 212. 
3 p" ^y uanus Less. Zool. Voy. de Belang, 
fortnis ' f neil!lis (Gmel.) Temm. PI. enl. 617 Pastor turdi- 
Ofiolu. Vegans Less. Zool. Voy. de Belang. Ois. t. 6. ; 
p u ®>nianus Shaw; Type of Sturnia Blyth. 
sturiiina p"*™* ( Pal, 0 Act - Stoekh. 1778. t. 7. f. 1. — Gracula 
Ulustr ' y Ulore,lllrllus (Gmel.) — Sturtius sericeus Gmel. Brown, 
°°b pi. 21. ; Pastor sericeus Gray? 
6. P. dominicanus (Bodd.) PI. enl. 627- f. 2. — Turdus domini- 
censis Gmel. 
7. P. canus Blyth, Journ. A. S. B. 1844. p. 365. 
8. P. erythropygius Blyth, Journ. A. S. B. 1846. p. 34. 
g. p. temporalis Temm. Wagl. Syst. Av. sp. 7 Pastor malay- 
ensis Eyton? 
10. P. rufieollis Wagl. Syst. Av. Pastor sp. 1.9. 
‘ jyj T 
(183?) ‘ e ’, m " lnck established this genus in 1815. 
“ Thr emmaphilm of Mr. Macgillivray are 
Psaroides of Vieillot (181 6), Boscis of P. Brehm (1828), Nomadites of Peteniz 
coequal with the name employed. It embraces Sturnia of Mr. Blyth. 
