. A dictionary of birds . 289), but remarkable for thetwo, or sometimes even three, pairs of spurs that the cock bearson his legs, while the hens are similarly armed. Three species areknown, of which the first descicibed is peculiar to Ceylon, and is thePerdix bicalcarata of J. R. Forster in 1781 {Ind. Zool. p. 25, pi. xiv.),the other two inhabiting the mainland of India ; but their respectiverange seems not to have been yet defined with precision (Hume,Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ed. 2, iii. pp. 423-425). One of them, , was originally described as from Madagascar; but, as she
. A dictionary of birds . 289), but remarkable for thetwo, or sometimes even three, pairs of spurs that the cock bearson his legs, while the hens are similarly armed. Three species areknown, of which the first descicibed is peculiar to Ceylon, and is thePerdix bicalcarata of J. R. Forster in 1781 {Ind. Zool. p. 25, pi. xiv.),the other two inhabiting the mainland of India ; but their respectiverange seems not to have been yet defined with precision (Hume,Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ed. 2, iii. pp. 423-425). One of them, , was originally described as from Madagascar; but, as shewed in 1861 {Orn. Beitr. Madag. p. 69), evidently bymistake. SQUACCO, the mis-spelling of Latham {Gen. Synops. iii. p. 74,in place of Sguacco, the Italian name of a Heron (p. 419, note),Ardea ralloides or comata, which was correctly given by Willughbyand Ray (though they had not seen the bird) from error has, however, established itself firmly. STANIEL, STANNEL and STONEGALL (Germ. Steingall), STARLING 903. variations of a local name of the Kestrel, commonly, but accordingto Prof. Skeat {Trans. Philolog. Soc. 1888-90, pp. 20-22) erroneously,referred by guessing etymologists to Stand-gale (cf. Windhover)—its real meaning being the bird that yells or cries from a stoneor rock. STARLING ( Stxr, Steam and Sterli/ng; Lat. Sturmis;Fr. Etourneaii), a bird long time well known in most parts ofEngland, and now, through the extension of its range within thepresent century, in the rest of Great Britain, as well as in Ireland,Avhere, though not generally distri-buted, it is very numerous in somedistricts It is about the size of aThrush, and, though at a distance itappears to be lilack, when near at hand its plumage is seen to be sturnus. (After Swainson.) brightly shot Avith purple, green and steel-blue, most of the feathers when freshly grown being tippedwith buff. These markings wear off in the course of the winter,and in the breeding-season the bird is almost spot
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlyde, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds
