THE ROSY STARLING 193 



ripening. The}^ seem to subsist chiefly upon these, 

 whence some of their popular names, and the mahce 

 which the farmer bears them. They are undoubtedly 

 a very great scourge to the latter, but they are not 

 an unmixed pest, for they are said to devour locusts 

 with avidity when the opportunity presents itself. 

 Now, the slaying of a locust is a work of merit which 

 ought to neutralise a multitude of sins. 



The rosy starlings which occur in India are said to 

 nest in Asia Minor. This may be so, but I am inclined 

 to think that there must be some breeding-grounds 

 nearer at hand, for these birds have been observed 

 in India as late as July, and they are back with us 

 again in September. To travel to Asia Minor, con- 

 struct nests, lay eggs, hatch these out, rear up the 

 young, and return to India with them, all within the 

 space of two months, is an almost impossible feat. It 

 is, of course, probable that the birds which remain in 

 India so late as July do not return as early as September. 



The large flocks of rosy starlings are quite a 

 feature of spring in Northern India. On the principle 

 that many hands make light work, a company of these 

 birds experiences no difficulty in speedily thinning a 

 crop of ripening corn. The starlings feed chiefly in 

 the morning and before sunset. During the heat of 

 the day they usually take a long rest, a habit for which 

 the crop-watchers ought to be very thankful. When 

 not feeding, rosy starlings usually congregate in 

 hundreds in lofty trees which are almost bare of 

 foliage. They then look like dried leaves. I have 

 spoken of this as a rest, which is not strictly accurate. 

 Q 



