14 STURNID/E. 



Pastor roseus. 



15. Pastor roseus {Lin.), Gould, Birds of Eur. pi. 2i2 ; Naum. iwgt. 

 t. 63; Jcrd,, B. Lid. ii. p. 333, No. 690 ; Blf., East. Persia ii. p. 267 ; 

 Str. F. i. p. 208 ; iii. pp. 208, 495 ; Murray, Hdbk., ZooL, S^'c, Sind, p. 176 ; 

 Murrey, Vert. Zool, Sind ; Murray, Avif. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 372, No. 925. 

 —The Rose-coloured Pastor. 



Head, crest, crown, neck on. the back and nape black, glossed with bluish 

 purple j chin and throat black 5 entire back, breast, rump and upper tail 

 coverts pale salmon or delicate rose colour ; wing coverts black, the lesser 

 series margined with grey, and the greater series glossy black with purple 

 reflections , primaries dark brown, tinged with greenish ; some of the seconda- 

 ries glossy black, also with green reflections, and others only so on the outer 

 web ; tail greenish black 5 under tail coverts black. Bill yellowish rose ; legs 

 yellowish brown; irides deep brown. 



Length.—^ to 9'S inches, wing 5-25 ; tail 3 ; bill at front 0'8. 



ffab,—S.-Y.. Europe, A-sia Minor, India, Ceylon and Assam. In the Deccan 

 and the Carnatic they arrive about November, and it is about this time they 

 come in throughout Western India. A winter visitant in most parts of India; 

 arrives in Sind about the beginning of April in large flocks; in the Punjab and 

 VV.-N. Provinces in August. Occurs also as a migrant in Beloochistan, 

 Persia, Afghanistan and Eastern Turkistan. They are very voracious feeders, 

 and commit great havoc among the jowaree and bajree crops, and in fact corn 

 of any kind, flower buds, and small fruits, as mulberries, capers, &c. The 

 Pastor forms excellent flesh food. The remarks under the heading Sturnid® 

 apply also to the Pastor. 



