56 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 



perfection, and we have known Starlings which had 

 caught exactly the notes of the Swallow, Goldfinch, 

 and Pied Wagtail. 



The movements of Starlings, when hawking flies 

 in Swallow fashion, in great circles, are full of grace. 

 The sexes of adult birds are readily distinguished 

 externally, the females being much spotted with 

 buff", and generally duller than the other sex. Birds 

 in the drab nest plumage may be distinguished by 

 the colour of the irides. On dissection, we have 

 always found that those with hazel irides were 

 males, and that birds with pale grey irides were 

 females. 



We have never met with a pied Starling, but 

 a pure albino was shot about six years since at 

 Cummersdale, and another white Starling was 

 repeatedly seen near Cotehill in 1883. A third 

 was killed some years since near Allonby. 



Genus PASTOR. 



P. JRoseus. Rose-coloured Pastor. 



The Rose Pastor has occurred as a wanderer 

 from south-east Europe in seven instances. An 

 example was shot near Alston in June, 1837, and 

 another was obtained in an orchard at Hayton in 

 the same year ; a third was shot at Flimby in 1838, 

 a fourth at Papcastle in 1840, a fifth near Rose 

 Castle, a sixth at High Seaton in 1854, and a 

 seventh, a brilliant bird, was subsequently shot at 

 Dub Mill, Allonby. 



