CAXOlKKKS ClìASSuV, Sdatir.
CALORNIS CRASSA, Sdater.
Slaty-grey Glossy Starling'.
Calornis crassa, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 56, pi. 14.
T he peculiar slaty hue of the plumage o f this species o f Calornis seems to separate it at once from all its
allies. We have carefully compared the type specimens with the large series o f Calornis in the British
Museum, and we find th at there is no species which approaches Calornis crassa in the grey shade of its
plumage, which much resembles that o f some o f the Starlings o f the genus Aplonis.
Mr. H. O. Forbes discovered the present species during his expedition to the Tenimber Islands, and
procured a large series o f specimens on the island of L arat in August 1882.
T he following is a description o f the type specimens lent to us by Dr. Sclater :—
Adult male. General colour above slaty grey, with a greenish gloss, the feathers o f the head and neck
lanceolate in form ; lesser and median wing-coverts like the back; greater coverts, bastard wing, primary,
coverts, and quills blackish, externally washed with greenish g re y ; tail-feathers blackish, with a slight wash
o f grey on the outer margins; lores black; sides o f face and entire under surface o f body slaty grey, the
plumes o f the throat lanceolate; under wing-coverts and axillaries like the b rea s t; quills dusky below,
browner along the iuner webs; “ bill, legs, and feet black; iris dark brown” (H. 0. Forbes'). Total
length 7‘4 inches, culmen 0 -8, wing 4*0, tail 2 -9, tarsus 0 ‘95.
Adult female. Different from the male. More ashy grey abov.e, with a less pronounced greenish gloss,
the head, neck, and mantle with dusky sbaft-lines or blackish centres to the feathers'; lesser wing-coverts
like the b ack; remainder o f wing-coverts and quills purplish brown, with lighter brown e d g e s; tail-feathers
blackish ; lores and eyelid blackish ; sides o f face and ear-coverts slaty grey glossed with green, the cheeks
streaked with whitish ; under surface o f body creamy white, streaked with ashy brown down the centre of
the feathers, very narrowly on the throat and fore neck, more broadly on the breast and flanks, and
extremely so on the under tail-coverts; the sides of the body washed with slaty g r e y ; thighs slaty g re y ;
abdomen whiter than the breast, and narrowly streaked with blackish; axillaries and under wing-coverts
light ashy brown; quills dusky below, browner on the inner webs. Total length 7'3 inches, culmen 0 -8,
wing 3 8, tail 2 ’65, tarsus 0 -9.
The figures in the Plate represent a male and female o f the present species, o f the natural size. They are
drawn from the typical specimens now deposited in the British Museum.
[R. B. S.]