Aplonis opacus opacus(Kittlitz)

Artamus pelewensisFinsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 41. (Type locality, Palau.)

Artamus leucorhynchusHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 116, 118 (Pelew);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 99 (Pelew); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 4, 18 (Palau); Walden, Ibis, 1876, p. 188 (Pelew).

Artamus pelewensisFinsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 739 (Pelew); Tweeddale, Ibis, 1878, p. 385 (Pelew); Sharpe, Cat. Birds British Mus., 13, 1890, p. 9 (Pelew); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 26 (Pelew); Bolau, Mitteil. Naturhist. Mus. Hamburg, 1898, p. 62 (Palau); Matschie, Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 112 (Palau); Dubois, Syn. Avium, 1, 1902, p. 533 (Pelew); Reichenow, Die Vögel, 2, 1914, p. 346 (Pelew).

Artamus leucorhynchus pelewensisStresemann, Novit. Zool., 20, 1913, p. 293 (Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 193 (Babelthuap, Koror); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 297 (Palau).

Artamus melanoleucus pelewensisKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 69 (Pelew); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 2, 1930, p. 635 (Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 174 (Palau).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Babelthuap, Angaur.

Characters.—Adult: Upper surface black, except for back which is slightly brownish and for rump which is white; underparts white, except for chin, throat and upper breast which are black; wings with grayish tips; bend of wing black; bill milky blue, nostril and tip black; feet black; iris dark brown.

Immature: Resembles adult, but black feathers with brownish tinges; primaries tipped with white.

Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 44.

Table 44. Measurements ofArtamus leucorhynchus pelewensisFinsch

Specimens examined.—Total number, 12 (7 males, 5 females), from Palau Islands, AMNH—exact locality not given (March, Nov., Dec.).

Remarks.—Little is known concerning the habits and distribution of the white-breasted Wood-Swallow at Palau. Coultas obtained a series of eight birds in 1931; he writes (field notes) that his native hunter took every bird that he saw. The natives told him that they did not know the nest of the bird. Coultas concluded that the bird was not common. He commented that it may be found perched in the top of a tree on a dead branch or "even displaying in the air." The NAMRU2 party found no evidence of this bird in the southern Palaus in 1945. The specimens obtained by Coultas in November and December, 1931, were in molt and had small gonads.

This wood-swallow is the only Micronesian representative ofArtamus leucorhynchus. Like several other species of birds it has become established only at the Palau Islands, and has either been unsuccessful in colonizing other parts of Micronesia or has not had the opportunity to do so. This bird had been compared with specimens representing ten subspecies ofA. leucorhynchusin Melanesia and Malaysia.A. l. pelewensisdiffers from these subspecies examined by its blacker appearance, with only a faint brownish wash on the back, and by its shorter, first primary. The curvature of the upper mandible of the bird in the Palaus is similar to that ofP. l. leucorhynchusof the Philippines; the mandible is less curved thanthat ofP. l. celebensisof Celebes; the mandible is slightly thicker than that ofP. l. leucopygialisof the New Guinea and Australian region. In length of wingP. l. pelewensisresembles closelyP. l. leucorhynchus;P. l. celebensishas a longer wing andP. l. leucopygialishas a shorter one. Stresemann (1913:293) points to a close relationship betweenP. l. pelewensisandP. l. musschenbreekiof Tenimber and Babber islands andP. l. melaleucusof New Caledonia; Mayr (1945a:284) says the bird in the Palaus came from the Papuan area. ProbablyP. l. pelewensishas reached the Palau Islands from the New Guinea area by way of the Philippines.

Lamproth[ornis] opacaKittlitz, Kupfertaf. Naturgesch. Vögel, 2, 1833, p. 11, pl. 15, fig. 2. (Type locality, Ualan = Kusaie.)

Turdus colombinusLesson (part), Traité d'Ornith., 1832, p. 406 (Carolines = Kusaie?).

Lamproth[ornis] opacaKittlitz, Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Petersbourg, 2, 1935, p. 7 (Ualan);idem(part), Obser. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, pp. 285, 297 (Ualan); Pelzeln, Reise "Novara," Vögel, 1865, p. 68 (Ualan).

Lamprotornis columbinusBonaparte (part), Consp. Avium, 1, 1850, p. 417 (Carolinen = Kusaie?).

Lamprotornis columbinaHartlaub, Archiv f. Naturgesch., 18, 1852, p. 133 (Ualan);idem(part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 168 (Carolinen = Kusaie?); Kittlitz, Denkw. Reise russ. Amer. Micron. und Kamchat., 1, 1858, p. 376 (Ualan).

Calornis opacaGray (part), Cat. Birds Trop. Is. Pacific Ocean, 1859, p. 26 (Oualau = Kusaie); Tristram, Cat. Birds, 1889, p. 255 (Kusaie); Hartert, Kat. Vogelsamml. Senckenb., 1891, p. 75 (Ualan).

Calornis kittlitziFinsch and Hartlaub (part), Fauna Central polynesiens, 1867, p. 109 (Ualan, Puynipet, Marianen; type locality, by subsequent restriction, Ualan = Kusaie); Finsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 23 (Ualan).

Calornis kittlitziiHartlaub, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867 (1868), p. 830 (Ualan).

Amadina KittlitziGray, Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 58 (Ualan).

Calornis pacificaSharpe, Ibis, 1876, p. 47 (Caroline Is. = Kusaie?); Finsch (part), Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 49 (Kuschai).

Calornis pacificusFinsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 32 (Ualan);idem(part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, pp. 289, 301 (Kuschai);idem, (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Kuschai);idem, (part), Ibis, 1881, pp. 103, 104, 108, 111 (Kuschai).

Aplonis kittlitziSharpe (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 13, 1890, p. 136 (Kuschai); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 44 (Ualan); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 216 (Oualan); Hartert (part), Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 59 (Ualan); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 112 (Ualan); Takatsukasa and Kuroda, Tori, 1, 1915, p. 64 (Kusaie).

Lamprocorax kittlitziDubois (part), Syn. Avium, 1, 1902, p. 542 (Kuschai).

Aplonis opacaOberholser, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 98, 1917, p. 59 (Ualan); Wetmore (part), in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 219 (Kusaie).

Aplonis kittlitzi kittlitziMomiyama (part), Tori, 2, 1920, p. 1 (Kusaie).

Aplonis opaca opacaMomiyama (part), Birds Micronesia, 1922, pp. 6, 12 (Kusaie); Kuroda (part), in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 70 (Kusaie); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 2, 1930, p. 847 (Kusaie); Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1931, p. 109 (Kusaie); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 170 (Kusaie).

Aplornis opaca opaca, Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 188 (Kusaie).

Aplonis opacus opacusMayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 298 (Kusaie).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Kusaie.

Characters.—Adult: Feathers black with dusky appearance caused by lighter bases; edges of feathers with slight amount of steel-green gloss; underparts slightly duller than upper parts; bill black, with maxilla rather strongly curved; feet black, iris yellow. Females slightly smaller.

Immature: Resembles adult, but upper parts more brown and less black; underparts dusky with edges of feathers tinged with smoky yellow producing a streaked appearance; base of bill horn-colored.

Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 45.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 30 (18 males, 12 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Kusaie, 5 (Feb. 8); AMNH—Kusaie, 25 (Jan., Feb., March).

Table 45. Measurements of Adult Specimens ofAplonis opacus

15 males

12 females

17 males

11 females

16 males

7 females

11 males

7 females

41 males

32 females

Remarks.—The Micronesian Starling at Kusaie was first taken by Kittlitz (1833:11), who named it in the following manner: "Turdus columbinusGm. L. oderLamproth. opacaLichtenstein." The bird was later given the name ofCalornis kittlitziby Finsch and Hartlaub (1867:109). Oberholser (1917:59) has shown that the specific nameopacais applicable, since the manuscript nameLamprothornis opacaof Lichtenstein is made available by Kittlitz's published description and figure, and since it is the earliest name used. Mathews (1938:342) reports that the nameAplornisappeared a few days before the nameAplonis. I have been unable to check his source of information.

The Micronesia Starling is one of the most abundant birds at Kusaie. Coultas (field notes) observed the bird in all parts of the island, when he visited there in 1931. He found the bird in flocks of two to six or more and noted that birds in immature plumage seemed to outnumber the birds in adult plumage approximately five to one. This subspecies is characterized by the presence of only a slight amount of gloss on the black feathers of the adult.

Aplonis opaca ponapensisTakatsukasa and Yamashina, Tori, 7, 1931, p. 109. (Type locality, Ponapé.)

Calornis columbinaPelzeln, Reise "Novara," Vögel, 1865, pp. 88, 162 (Puynipet).

Calornis kittlitziFinsch and Hartlaub (part), Fauna Centralpolynesiens, 1867, p. 109 (Puynipet); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 298 (Ponapé).

Calornis opacaGray (part), Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 27 (Seniavin = Ponapé).

Calornis pacificusFinsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 17, 32 (Ponapé);idem, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877 (1878), p. 779 (Ponapé);idem(part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 289 (Ponapé);idem, (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ponapé).

Calornis pacificaFinsch, Ibis, 1881, p. 115 (Ponapé);idem, (part), Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien. 1884, p. 49 (Ponapé).

Aplonis kittlitziSharpe (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 13, 1890, p. 136 (Ponapé); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 44 (Ponapé); Bolau (part), Mitteil. Naturhist. Mus. Hamburg, 1898, p. 62 (Ponapé); Nehrkorn, Kat. Eiers., 1899, p. 122 (Ponapé); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 112 (Ponapé); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 55 (Ponapé).

Lamprocorax kittlitziDubois (part), Syn. Avium, 1, 1902, p. 542 (Ponapé).

Aplonis opacaWetmore (part), in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 219 (Ponapé); Mayr. Proc. 6th Pacific Sci. Congr., 4, 1941, p. 204 (Ponapé).

Aplonis kittlitzi kittlitziMomiyama (part), Tori, 2, 1920, p. 1 (Ponapé).

Aplonis opaca opacaMomiyama (part), Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 12 (Ponapé); Kuroda (part), in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 70 (Ponapé).

Aplonis opaca ponapensisYamashina, Tori, 7, 1932, p. 394 (Ponapé); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 170 (Ponapé).

Aplonis opaca ponapensisHand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 188 (Ponapé).

Aplonis opacus ponapensisMayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 297 (Ponapé).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Ponapé.

Characters.—Adult: ResemblesA. o. opacus, but larger with a longer bill and richer green luster on the back and breast.

Immature: Resembles immature ofA. o. opacus, but underparts more brightly streaked but still dingy in appearance.

Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 45.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 47 (31 males, 16 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Ponapé, 1 (Feb. 11); AMNH—Ponapé, 46 (Nov., Dec.).

Nesting.—Yamashina (1932a:394) reports the taking of an egg on August 2, 1931, and two eggs on August 30, 1931, at Ponapé. Coultas (field notes) writes that the nests of these birds are hidden in the tops of the tree-ferns and in holes in the trees. The natives told him that the starling lays two eggs.

Molt.—Most of the adult specimens taken by Coultas in November and December, 1931, are in molting plumage.

Remarks.—Coultas (field notes) writes that the starling is a common bird at Ponapé. He found it in flocks of from two to 12 or more birds. As at Kusaie he noted more birds in the immature plumage than in the adult plumage at Ponapé. The starling occurs in large numbers even though the people of the island hunt this bird persistently for part of their food supply.

The Micronesian Starling at Palau has the longest wing of any of the subspecies ofAplonis opacus. It most closely resemblesA. o. opacus; both of these subspecies have only a faint amount of bronzy-green luster of the feathers, and the immatures have dingy yellow streaks on the abdomen.

Aplonis opaca angaMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 6. (Type locality, Toroas, Ruk Island.)

Lamproth[ornis] opacaKittlitz (part), Observ. Zool., in Lutké, Voy. "Le Séniavine," 3, 1836, p. 297 (Lougounor = Lukunor).

Lamprotornis columbinusBonaparte (part), Consp. Avium, 1, 1850, p. 417 (Carolinen = Lukunor?).

Lamprotornis columbinaHartlaub (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1854, p. 168 (Carolinen = Lukunor?).

Calornis kittlitziHartlaub and Finsch (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 100 (Mackenzie = Ulithi?); Finsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 23 (Mackenzie = Ulithi?); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, pp. 298, 330, 353 (Mortlock, Nukuor, Ruk).

Calornis pacificusFinsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, p. 23 (Mackenzie = Ulithi?);idem(part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 290 (Ruck, Mortlocks);idem(part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Ruk);idem(part), Ibis, 1881, p. 111 (Ruk).

Calornis pacificaFinsch (part), Mitth. Ornith. Ver. Wien, 1884, p. 49 (Rukgruppe).

Aplonis kittlitziSharpe (part), Cat. Birds British Mus., 13, 1890, p. 136 (Ruk, Lugunor); Wiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 44 (Ruk or Luganor, Nukuor); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 216 (Ruk, Nukuor, Luganor); Hartert (part), Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 59 (Ruk, Luganor);idem, Novit. Zool., 7, 1900, p. 6 (Ruk); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 112 (Ruck); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 55 (Ruk).

Lamprocorax kittlitziDubois (part), Syn. Avium, 1, 1902, p. 542 (Ruk, Luganor).

Aplonis opacaWetmore (part), in Townsend and Wetmore, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoöl., 63, 1919, p. 219 (Truk).

Aplonis kittlitzi kittlitziMomiyama (part), Tori, 2, 1920, p. 1 (Truk, Wolea).

Aplonis opaca angaKuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 71 (?Luganor or Ruk, ?Nukuor, Wolea or Oleai); Takatsukasa and Yamashina, Tori, 32, 1930, p. 109 (Ruk); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 2, 1930, p. 847 (Ruk); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 170 (Uluthi, Feys, Wolea, Ifalik, Faraulep, Lamotrek, Truk, Nukuoro).

Aplornis apaca angaTakatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 43, 1931, p. 458 (Truk?); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 188 (Uluthi, Feys, Wolea, Ifalik, Faraulep, Lamotrek, Truk, Nukuoro).

Aplonis opacus angusMayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 297 (Truk and western Carolines); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, pp. 70, 71 (Ulithi Truk).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Ulithi, Fais, Wolea, Ifalik, Faraulep, Lamotrek, Truk, Nukuoro, Lukunor.

Characters.—Adult: ResemblesA. o. opacus, but larger and with bill less deep and feathers with distinct greenish luster both on the upper parts and the lower parts. Female smaller.

Immature: Resembles immature ofA. o. opacus, but underparts streaked with brighter, buffy-yellow coloring.

Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 45.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 38 (24 males, 14 females), as follows: Caroline Islands, USNM—Ulithi, 27 (Aug. 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22)—Truk, 2 (Feb. 16, Dec. 13); AMNH—Truk, 9 (Jan. 29, Feb. 1, 28, June 14, Oct. 9, 14).

Nesting.—Hartert (1900:6) reports that at Truk nests of the starling were obtained by Owston's Japanese collectors from May to July and one in March. Nests contained from one to three eggs each.

Molt.—Adult birds taken by the NAMRU2 party at Ulithi in August are in molting plumage.

Food habits.—The stomachs of starlings obtained in August at Ulithi contained pieces of fruit and seeds. Twelve stomachs contained between one and three cc. of these foods. Papaya and small berries were the foods most frequently observed in the stomachs.

Remarks.—The Micronesian Starling of the central and western Carolines is one of the few land birds which lives on both the "high" islands and the "low" coral islands in Micronesia. It is found on several of the coral atolls in the Carolines. In the Hand-list of Japanese Birds (Hachisukaet al., 1932:170), the birds at Ulithi and Fais are placed in the subspeciesA. o. angus, although these islands are only a short distance from Yap, at which place another subspecies,A. o. kurodai, occurs. Specimens from Yap are not available for comparison. Specimens from Ulithi and from Truk closely resemble one another.

The NAMRU2 party found the starling to be numerous at Truk and at Ulithi in 1945. At both places the natives make use of the birds as food. At Truk, McElroy found a larger number of birds in immature plumage than that of birds in adult plumage. Similar observations have been made at several other islands in Micronesia.

At Ulithi, the NAMRU2 party found the starling at all islands inthe atoll visited in 1945. The bird was more numerous at the islands of Potangeras and Mangejang, and less numerous at the island of Losiep; the former two islands were occupied—at the time of the visit in 1945—by service personnel and the vegetation was disturbed, whereas Losiep was uninhabited and rarely visited by people. I attribute the smaller population of starlings at Losiep to the fact that on this island the large monitor lizard,Varanus indicus, was numerous while at Potangeras and Mangejang it was apparently entirely absent. These large lizards depend principally on the birds, rodents, and insects for their food supply. At Potangeras the ratRattus exulanswas exceedingly numerous, while at Losiep no sign of rodents was found nor were any taken in traps set during the daytime.

Aplonis kittlitzi kurodaiMomiyama, Tori, 2, 1920, p. 1. (Type locality, Yap.)

Calornis kittlitziHartlaub and Finsch (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 100 (Uap); Gräffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 123 (Yap); Finsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 24 (Yap); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 298 (Yap).

Calornis pacificusFinsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, p. 32 (Yap).

Aplonis kittlitziWiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 44 (Yap); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 216 (Yap); Hartert (part), Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 58 (Yap); Bolau (part), Mitteil. Naturhist. Mus. Hamburg, 1898, p. 62 (Yap); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 49, 1901, p. 112 (Yap); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 64 (Yap).

Aplonis opaca kurodaiMomiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 11 (Yap); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 71 (Yap); Mathews, Syst. Avium Australasianarum, 2, 1930, p. 848 (Yap); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 170 (Yap).

Aplonis opaca kurodaiTakatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu, Zasshi, 43, 1931, p. 458 (Yap?); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 188 (Yap).

Aplonis opacus kurodaiMayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 297 (Yap); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 71 (Yap).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Caroline Islands—Yap.

Characters.—Adult: According to Momiyama (1922:11), "Similar toA. o. angafrom Ruk group, but the bill thicker (9-10.5 mm.; that of the latter 8.5-9.5 mm.) and much longer (24-27.5 mm.; that of the latter 21.5-25 mm.) and the wing also longer in average (119.5-130 mm. instead of 116.5-129.5 mm.). It differs from typicalopacaby the edge of feathers of both body sides very distinctly tinged with a bronzy-green lustre, by the bill being longer and thicker (in typicalopacaexposed culmen 21.5-24.5 mm., depth of bill 9-9.5 mm.)."

of body somewhat deeper in colour and the edge of feathers distinctly tinged with lustrous bronzy-green. It differs from the same stage ofA. o. angaby the under-parts being without pale-yellowish area." Momiyama (1922:11).

Young: "Similar to the young of typical bird, but differs from it by the mantle being very faintly tinged with bronzy-green and by the under-parts being somewhat tinged with brown. In the same stage of the typical form, the under-parts are much more greyish-ashy in colour." Momiyama (1922:11).

Remarks.—No specimens have been examined. Momiyama (1920:1) regarded the birds at Yap and at Saipan asA. o. kurodai. Later (1922:10) he separated the birds at Saipan asA. o. harterti, remarking that the birds from Saipan differ "fromA. o. kurodaiMomiyama from Yap islands, by the green lustre on both sides of body being less distinct and showing tendency to a purplish lustre, by the bill being decidedly shorter, and by the same thickness."

Price (1936a:19) describes a method by which starlings and other birds are captured by the natives of Yap. The natives make slashes in the trunk of a breadfruit tree and allow the exuding juice to harden. This material is then chewed until soft and adhesive. It is then placed on a stick which has been secured directly under a papaya fruit. When the birds alight on this perch, they become stuck and are captured.

Aplornis opaca oriiTakatsukasa and Yamashina, Dobutsu. Zasshi, 43, 1931, p. 458. (Type locality, Coror, Pelew Islands.)

Calornis kittlitziiHartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868, pp. 7, 117, 118 (Pelew).

Calornis opacaGray (part), Hand-list Birds, 2, 1870, p. 27 (Pelew).

Calornis kittlitziHartlaub and Finsch (part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, p. 89 (Pelew); Finsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 5, 23 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause (part), Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 298 (Palau).

Calornis kittlitziKubary, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 4, 1873, p. 225 (Palau-Inseln).

Calornis pacificusFinsch (part), Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 12, 1876, pp. 17, 32 (Palau);idem(part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1880, p. 289 (Palau);idem(part), Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880, p. 576 (Palau);idem(part). Ibis, 1881, p. 111 (Pelew).

Aplonis kittlitziWiglesworth (part), Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 44 (Pelew); Oustalet (part), Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, (3), 7, 1895, p. 212 (Palaos); Hartert (part), Novit. Zool., 5, 1898, p. 58 (Pelew); Matschie (part), Journ. f. Ornith., 1901, p. 112 (Palau); Takatsukasa and Kuroda (part), Tori, 1, 1915, p. 55 (Pelew).

Aplonis opacasubsp nov.? Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 13 (Pelew); Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 72 (Pelew).

Aplornis opaca oriiHand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 188 (Babelthuap, Koror, Peliliu, Anguar).

Aplonis opaca oriiHand-list Japanese Birds, rev., 1932, p. 169 (Palau); Yamashina, Tori, 10, 1940, p. 673 (Palau).

Aplonis opacus oriiMayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 297 (Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 71 (Peleliu, Ngesebus, Garakayo).

Geographic range.—Micronesia: Palau Islands—Kayangel, Babelthuap, Koror, Garakayo, Ngesebus, Peleliu, Ngabad, Angaur.

Characters.—Adult: Resembles adult ofA. o. opacus, but slightly larger with bill longer and shallower, and feathers with distinct greenish gloss both on the upper parts and the lower parts. ResemblesA. o. angusin the amount of greenish gloss on feathers, but bill shallower. Depth of bill ofA. o. opacusmeasures, on the average, 9.5 for males and 9.0 for females; ofA. o. angus8.5 for both males and females; ofA. o. orii7.5 for both males and females.

Immature: Resembles immature ofA. o. angus, but streaking on underparts duller.

Measurements.—Measurements are listed intable 45.

Specimens examined.—Total number, 40 (21 males, 19 females), as follows: Palau Islands, USNM—Koror, 3 (Nov. 6)—Garakayo, 2 (Sept. 19)—Ngesebus, 1 (Sept. 20)—Peleliu, 7 (Aug. 28, 29, 30, 31, Sept. 5); AMNH—exact locality not given, 27 (Oct., Nov., Dec.).

Molt.—Many of the specimens taken in August and September show evidence of molt; most of the specimens taken in October, November and December are not in molt.

Remarks.—The amount of greenish gloss on the feathers ofA. o. oriiandA. o. angusappears to be the same, but the streaked underparts of the immature ofA. o. oriiare duller than those of the immature ofA. o. angus. The shallower bill in the Palau starling is caused by the lower edge of the mandible being generally straighter than that inA. o. angusandA. o. opacus. In comparingA. o. oriiwithA. o. kurodai, Takatsukasa and Yamashina (1931a:458) state that "the greenish gloss is less pronounced and of a duller shade than that ofA. o. kurodaiMomiyama."

The starling is probably the most abundant land bird in the Palaus. It was found as singles or in small flocks at all islands visited by the NAMRU2 party in 1945. As at the other islands of Micronesia, the starling at Palau is noisy and conspicuous. It is a most inquisitive bird, often following the collector through the woodlands. Apparently the starling prefers the open woodlands and marginal areas to the thicker jungles; as a result of clearing operations during the war, the bird probably has increased. The starling is primarily a vegetarian; I found no animal matter in stomachs examined at Palau or at Ulithi or Guam. At Palau, as at other islands, more of the starlings seen were in immature plumage than in adult plumage. Coultas (field notes) found the birds to be abundant at Koror and highly prized as food by the natives and Japanese. He writes, "It is surprising what a fine wholesome meal certain people can get out of handful of rice and a starling's breast."

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