FAMILY 35.--STURNIDÆ. (29 Genera, 124 Species.)
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. __________________________________/\__________________________________ / \ NEOTROPICAL| NEARCTIC |PALÆARCTIC | ETHIOPIAN | ORIENTAL | AUSTRALIAN SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS|SUB-REGIONS. -----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+------------ | | | | | -- -- -- --|-- -- -- --|1. 2. 3. 4 |1. 2. 3. 4 |1. 2. 3. 4 | 1 -- 3. 4 | | | | |
The Sturnidæ or Starlings, are a highly characteristic Old-World group, extending to every part of the great Eastern continent and its islands, and over the Pacific Ocean to the Samoa Islands and New Zealand, yet wholly absent from the mainland of Australia. The family appears to be tolerably well-defined, and the following genera are generally considered to belong to it: (1558 1559 1562) _Eulabes_ (13 sp.), the Oriental region to South-west China, Hainan, and Java,--and Flores, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the Australian region; _Ampeliceps_ (1 sp.), _Tenasserim_, Burmah, and Cochin China; _Gymnops_ (1 sp.), Philippine Islands; _Basilornis_ (2 sp.), Celebes and Ceram; _Pastor_ (1 sp.), South-east Europe to India, Ceylon, and Burmah; _Acridotheres_ (7 sp.), the whole Oriental region and Celebes; (1568 1569) _Sturnia_ (12 sp.), the whole Oriental region, North China, Japan, and Siberia, Celebes; _Dilophus_ (1 sp.), South Africa; _Sturnus_ (6 sp.), Palæarctic region, to India and South China in winter; _Sturnopastor_ (4 sp.), India to Burmah and East Java; _Creadion_ (2 sp.), New Zealand; _Heterolocha_ (1 sp.), New Zealand; (1520) _Callæas_ { 288}(2 sp.), New Zealand; _Buphaga_ (2 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; _Euryceros_ (1 sp.), Madagascar (see Plate VI., Vol. I., p. 278.) This genus and the last should perhaps form distinct families. (1577) _Juida_ (5 sp.), Central, West, and South Africa; (1578) _Lamprocolius_ (20 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; _Cinnyricinclus_ (2 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; _Onychognathus_ (2 sp.), West Africa; (1581) _Spreo_ (4 sp.), Tropical and South Africa; (1582-1585) _Amydrus_ (7 sp.), South and East Africa, Palestine; _Aplonis_ (9 sp.), New Caledonia to the Tonga Islands; (1587-1589) _Calornis_ (18 sp.), the whole Malay Archipelago and eastward to the Ladrone and Samoa Islands; (1590) _Enodes_ (1 sp.), Celebes; _Scissirostrum_ (1 sp.), Celebes; (1592) _Saroglossa_ (1 sp.), Himalayas; (1593) _Hartlaubius_ (1 sp), Madagascar; _Fregilupus_ (1 sp.), Bourbon, but it has recently become extinct; (363) _Falculia_ (1 sp)., Madagascar.