56 



connoisseurs, who had not discovered the bird, but heard 

 its voice, thought he was listening to a concert of two 

 Starlings, two Goldfinches, and perhaps a Siskin ; and when 

 he saw that it was a single bird, he could not conceive how 

 all this music proceeded from the same throat. This bird 

 was still alive in 1802, and the delight of its possessor." 



A dealer in birds, residing in Oxford Street, had three 

 living specimens of the Rose-coloured Pastor for sale, in 

 the summer of 1837 or 1838. This bird flies in flocks like 

 the Starling, and in other habits and peculiarities also re- 

 sembles that species ; it feeds about and among flocks and 

 herds, and 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, and in a notice of three nests found 

 in the canton of Geneva, it is stated by the Hon. T. L. 

 Powys, that the eggs are pure white, of the size and shape 

 of those of the Common Starling. (Zoologist, 1850, 

 p. 2968.) 



In the adult male the beak is of 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, 

 scapulars, 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 

 darker brown. 



The whole length of the bird is eight inches and a half. 

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



