ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR. 55 



frequently mounts on the backs of sheep and cattle to search 

 for the insects, or their grubs, which are known to occupy such 

 situations. Insects appear to form a principal portion of 

 their food ; but they are also partial to fruit, and have been 

 frequently found in gardens. They build in holes of trees, 

 and in cavities of old walls ; the eggs are six in number, but 

 I have not found any recorded notice of their colour. 



In the adult male the beak is of a yellowish rose colour, 

 except at the base of the under mandible, where it is almost 

 black ; the irides intense red brown ; the head, neck, wings 

 and tail, black, glossed with violet blue ; the feathers on the 

 head elongated, so as to form a flowing crest ; the back, sca- 

 pulars, and rump, of a delicate rose colour ; the chin, throat, 

 and front of the neck, black ; breast, sides, and abdomen, 

 like the back, of rose colour ; thighs and under tail-coverts 

 black ; legs and toes yellowish brown ; claws dai'ker brown. 



Whole length of the bird eight inches and a half. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, five inches : the first 

 feather very short ; the second the longest in the wing ; the 

 third feather a little shorter than the second ; the fourth a 

 quarter of an inch shorter than the third. 



In its second year the male has not so full a crest ; the 

 dark portions of the plumage have not the brilliancy of the 

 same parts in the older male birds ; the rose colour is pale or 

 dull, and occasionally mixed with brown. 



In young birds of the year, the beak is yellow at the 

 base, brown at the point ; no indication of a crest on the 

 head ; the whole of the upper surface of the body is of a uni- 

 form dull brown ; the feathers of the wings and tail of a 

 darker brown tint, edged with white, or greyish ash colour ; 

 throat and abdomen pure white ; the rest of the under parts 

 ash brown ; legs, toes, and claws brown. 



