====================+============+=========+=======+========+===========
| Number | | | | Depth of
SUBSPECIES | and | Wing | Tail | Full | culmen at
| sex | | | culmen | nostril
--------------------+------------+---------+-------+--------+-----------
_A. o. opacus_ | 15 males | 124 | 80 | 24 | 9.5
| | 121-125 | 76-85 | 24-26 | 9.0-10.0
| | | | |
| 12 females | 119 | 77 | 24 | 9.0
| | 115-125 | 72-82 | 23-26 | 8.5-9.0
| | | | |
_A. o. ponapensis_ | 17 males | 133 | 87 | 27 | 9.5
| | 130-138 | 85-91 | 26-29 | 9.0-10.0
| | | | |
| 11 females | 126 | 83 | 27 | 9.0
| | 122-127 | 81-85 | 26-28 | 8.5-9.0
| | | | |
_A. o. angus_ | 16 males | 129 | 88 | 28 | 9.5
| | 125-131 | 84-92 | 27-29 | 8.0-9.0
| | | | |
| 7 females | 124 | 85 | 27 | 8.5
| | 121-129 | 83-88 | 25-28 | 8.0-9.0
| | | | |
_A. o. orii_ | 11 males | 128 | 86 | 27 | 7.5
| | 124-131 | 83-90 | 25-28 | 7.5-8.5
| | | | |
| 7 females | 124 | 79 | 26 | 7.5
| | 121-126 | 77-82 | 25-27 | 7.5-8.0
| | | | |
_A. o. guami_ | 41 males | 128 | 86 | 27 | 9.5
| | 120-136 | 81-92 | 24-29 | 8.5-10.5
| | | | |
| 32 females | 121 | 84 | 26 | 9.5
| | 117-126 | 78-89 | 24-30 | 8.5-10.5
--------------------+------------+---------+-------+--------+-----------
_Remarks._--The Micronesian Starling at Kusaie was first taken by
Kittlitz (1833:11), who named it in the following manner: "_Turdus
columbinus_ Gm. L. oder _Lamproth. opaca_ Lichtenstein." The bird was
later given the name of _Calornis kittlitzi_ by Finsch and Hartlaub
(1867:109). Oberholser (1917:59) has shown that the specific name
_opaca_ is applicable, since the manuscript name _Lamprothornis opaca_
of 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 name _Aplornis_ appeared a few days before the name
_Aplonis_. 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 opacus ponapensis= Takatsukasa and Yamashina