Part 284

b1. Tail longer, rectrices strongly graduated; a large unfeathered space around each eye.

c1. Without a crest; tail shorter than wing. ... Sarcops (p. 718) c2. With a crest of long decomposed feathers springing from the crown; tail much longer than wing. ... Goodfellowia (p. 720)

b2. Tail shorter and nearly square; narrow naked spaces below and behind each eye; a large fleshy wattle on each side of nape. ... Eulabes (p. 720)

Genus STURNIA Lesson, 1837.

Bill rather stout, much shorter than head; culmen curved near its tip; nasal membrane covered with short feathers; frontal plumes not conspicuously developed; head without bare spaces; rectrices very slightly graduated and extending little, if at all, beyond the rather short toes.

Species.

a1. Primaries and secondaries without white edges; tail broadly tipped with white, gray, or salmon-buff.

b1. Secondary-coverts entirely white, light gray, or salmon-buff (adult). ... sinensis (p. 711) b2. Secondary-coverts black, edged with gray; or else some of the coverts white (young) ... sinensis (p. 711)

a2. Outer primaries and secondaries edged with white on outer webs; tail without a light tip.

b1. Throat and breast unstreaked (adult); lower throat, ear-coverts, and sides of neck vinous-chestnut (male); ear-coverts and sides of neck faintly washed with reddish brown (female) ... philippensis (p. 712) b2. Throat and breast streaked with dull olive-brown (young). ... philippensis (p. 712)

726. STURNIA SINENSIS (Gmelin).

GRAY-BACKED STARLING.

Oriolus sinensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat. (1788), 1, 394. Sturnia sinensis Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 68; McGregor, Bull. Philippine Mus. (1903), 1, 6; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 108.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor, Celestino). China, Hainan, Formosa, Siam; in winter to Cochin China, southern China, Pegu, and Malacca.

Adult male (Calayan Island, September).--Above smoke-gray; forehead whitish; primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts, and alula black slightly glossed with green, secondaries narrowly edged with white; secondary-coverts, scapulars, edge of wing, axillars, and wing-lining white; rectrices black, glossed with green, all but the middle pair with broad white tips; under parts white, light smoke-gray across the chest. Bill pale stone-gray; iris white; legs and nails light brown. Length, 197; wing, 105; tail, 62; culmen from base, 20; bill from nostril, 13; tarsus, 25.

Adult female (Manila, January).--Very similar to the male from Calayan, but the white and gray areas dark smoky gray, probably due to smoke stain. Iris pale blue. Length, 190; wing, 100; tail, 57; culmen from base, 19; tarsus, 25.

Immature female (Manila, January).--Similar to the adult, but secondary-coverts glossy black with light edgings.

Male (Malabon, near Manila, March).--Similar to the male from Calayan, but fore part of head, face, chin, secondary-coverts, scapulars, upper tail-coverts, sides, flanks, under tail-coverts, and tips of rectrices ochraceous-buff. Wing, 102; tail, 60; culmen from base, 18; tarsus, 23.

The gray-backed, or Chinese, starling has been taken in the Philippines but rarely; in addition to the specimens recorded by me from Calayan and Luzon, we have two specimens that were killed near Manila.

727. STURNIA PHILIPPENSIS (Forster).

VIOLET-BACKED STARLING.

Motacilla philippensis Forster, Ind. Zool. (1781), 41. Motacilla violacea Boddaert, Tabl. Pl. Enl. (1783), 11. Sturnia violacea Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1890), 13, 70. Sturnia philippensis McGregor, Bur. Govt. Laboratories, Manila (1905), 25, 30; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 108.

Bi-lit' chí-na, Calayan.

Calayan (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot, McGregor); Mindanao (Steere); Mindoro (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere); Palawan (Platen, Bourns & Worcester, White); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester). Japan; in winter to Borneo, Celebes, and the Moluccas.

Adult male (Calayan Island, October).--Forehead, crown, lores, chin, middle of throat, and area about eye white, dingy on top of head; neck, scapulars, and back black, glossed with purple; rump and upper tail-coverts white; chest, sides of neck, and ear-coverts vinous-chestnut or bay, extending as a narrow band onto each side of hind neck and forming a nearly complete collar; sides of breast, sides of body, and flanks ash-gray; middle of breast, abdomen, thighs, and crissum white; wings black, glossed with green; outer primaries edged with white; some of the secondaries edged with white toward the base; middle and lesser secondary-coverts, edge of wing, axillars, and wing-lining white; tail black, glossed with green; outermost pair of rectrices with outer webs white except near tips. Bill black, base of lower mandible white; iris brown; legs and feet dark green; nails brown. Length, 180; wing, 105; tail, 50; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus, 24.

Adult female (Calayan, October).--Resembles somewhat the female of Sturnia sinensis. Upper parts dingy brown with no gloss except on wings and tail; head, rump, and tail-coverts dirty whitish; under parts white, sides of breast and of abdomen faintly gray; ear-coverts and sides of neck washed with chestnut-brown; primaries and primary-coverts black, glossed with green on the outer edges; second, third, and fourth primaries edged with white or whitish on outer webs; secondaries glossy brown, the three outer ones widely edged with white except at tips; secondary-coverts brown, the median coverts with broad white tips; alula quills black, edged with white; tail glossy blackish, outermost rectrices with whitish edges. Wing, 105; tail, 48; culmen from base, 18; tarsus, 24.

Immature (Calayan, October).--Resembles the adult female, but the upper parts more earthy brown; secondary-coverts all brown, the median series with whitish tips; under parts whitish, ashy on the sides; throat and chest streaked with dull earthy brown.

The violet-backed starling, like the next preceding species, is of irregular occurrence in these Islands. A very large flock was observed on Calayan Island in October, 1903.