18 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 



569. Subsp. Sturnus poltaratzskyi Finsch. 



Pearse obtained in October 1878 some specimens of 

 Poltaratzsky's Starling which were identified by Seebohm, 

 and Guillemard shot at least two on his 1888 visit. Glaszner 

 sent Madarasz nine specimens, taken near Larnacain January, 

 February, and November. I obtained one old male, which 

 I should think is typical of this form, at Morphou in December 

 1908. I believe that Glaszner has sent a considerable 

 number of locally obtained Starlings to various European 

 naturalists, but I have not been able to ascertain that any 

 results have as yet been published concerning them. 



572. Pastor roseus (Linn.). 



The locust was for centuries almost an annual scourge 

 in Cyprus, and the wailings of writers over its destruc- 

 tiveness are lamentable. All sorts of remedies seem to have 

 been tried, but the most successful, according to the IGth 

 and 17th century writers, was a miraculous fountain of water, 

 situated in Syria or Persia, a basin of which, being conveyed 

 to the island, with certain solemn rites, was followed by large 

 flocks of "red and black birds, which, flying together like 

 Starlings, with their song and flight destroyed the locusts." 

 There are other interesting reasons given for the appearance 

 of these useful assistants, but it can hardly be doubted 

 that this account, published in 1596, refers to the Rose- 

 coloured Pastor. The extremely capricious character of the 

 visits of this species is shown by the infrequency with which 

 it has been recorded. It was, however, one of Unger and 

 Kotschy's additions to Sibthorp's list ; but, although Lord 

 Lilford was informed that it was very well known in Cyprus 

 and was assured that it sometimes bred in the island, 

 neither he, Pearse, Guillemard, nor Glaszner apparently 

 succeeded in coming across it. Indeed, the only definite 

 record with which 1 was until lately acquainted was that of 

 a single juvenile specimen mentioned by Miiller as having 

 been taken during the breeding-season, presumably in 1877 

 or 1878. Mr. Baxendale and Horsbrugh were lucky enough 

 to meet with this species in May 1909, when they observed 



