372 STURNID/E. 



Whole plumage above and below black, with a brilliant green gloss; lores 

 and feathers at the base of upper mandible unglossed black ; wings and tail 

 black, only slightly glossed bluish. Bill, legs and feet black ; irides crimson. 



The young have the upper plumage brownish glossed with green ; wings 

 brown, with a paler edging ; under surface of the body buffy white, streaked 

 with greenish brown ; legs and feet brownish or blue-black ; irides yellowish 

 white. 



Length. 8-5 inches; wing 4-1 ; tail 3-2 ; tarsus 0-9; bill from gape i. 



Hab. The Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and British Burmah, 

 also the Andaman Islands and Arracan. Gates says it has been met with in 

 Chittagong, Tipperah, Cachar and Dacca. Davison says that about Male- 

 woon and Bankasoon it is very abundant in smaller or larger flocks. They 

 are very noisy birds, and have a sharp metallic single note. The eggs are 

 said to be " green, or light blue with brown spots and marks, closest together at 

 the thick end of the egg." 



Gen. Pastor. Tern. 



Bill short, compressed, curving from the base, slightly deflected at the 

 tip ; groove of nostril clothed with short plumes; 2nd quill longest ; 1st spuri- 

 ous ; tarsus scutate ; tail even ; head with an occipital crest. 



925. Pastor roseus (Zt.), Gould, Birds of Eur. pi. 212; Nauru, 

 vogt. t. 63 ; Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p, 333, No. 690; Blf., East. Persia ii. p. 267 ; 

 Sir. F. i. p. 208 ; iii. pp. 208, 495 ; Murray, Hdbk. t Zool., 8fc. t Sind, p. 176 ; 

 Murray, Vert. Zool, Sind. Pastor peguanus, Less. Pastor suratensis et 

 seleucus, Gm., Syst. Nat. The ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR. 



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

 purple; chin and throat black; 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; under tail coverts black. Bill yellowish rose; 

 legs yellowish brown ; irides deep brown. 



Length. 9 to 9-5 inches; wing 5-25 ; tail 3; bill at front 0*8. 



Hab. S.-E. Europe, Asia Minor, India, Ceylon and Assam. In the Deccan and 

 the Carnatic they come about November, and this is the time they come in 

 throughout Western India. 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. A winter visitant in 

 most parts of India; arrives in Sind about the beginning of April in large 

 flocks ; in the Punjab and N.-W. Provinces in August. Occurs also as a 

 migrant in Beloochistan, Persia, Afghanistan and Eastern Turkistan. 



