THK KOSE-VOLORMD PASTOR. 



BIO 



\Vi n. .u ,,,.!,. i,, tin- tnii- - -. *>r Murninae, as the j an scientifically termed. In 



these birds tin- I. ill is almost straight, tap. -ring, and elongated, slightly llatt.-m-d at tin- u.|.. 

 and with a hanlh ] n.-|.iil<l<- n..t.-h. '\'\\ examples of this group are found in Kunij-, tin- 

 first and ran-si <if \\hi.-h i- tin- K<j. . m.<ii:i i> !'\^i..i;. 



These liinls an- vt-ry common in many countries, and in some part* of India an- ... tnmi.T- 

 oii- that f..rty <r tift\ ha\- N-.-H killed at a >ini:l.- shot, and they are aaid bj agriculturist* to 

 l*> hanlh ..-the than lonista. Like the common Starling, tin- Ko-*--colon-d Pastor 



alwa\ - ili.- in Hock*, and seems to [Mjssess many of the habits which belong to the In- 

 l--i. Iniu- on tin* bai ks of ,-attli- and feeding en the paraaido \\\ ^rubn whi. h an- &-\\ 



-i-.illy found in Mirh -itiiatioi^. ( m an .unit of this habit of fr.-.jiu-nt in^ tin- catll.- lidd and 

 tin- .sh.t-i' fold, tin- bird has received the title of Puator, or ln-|.hi-rd. It feeds t-hi.-lly on 

 bHSCts, bill ill tin .1 .: i. in', i':-!.: !.- \.i : .- - i'- .ii. i -A i : .. i i ; . 1 1 -i\\ - 



The Rose-colored Pastor posa oases a rather flexible voice ; its ordinary cry Is rather harsh 

 and grating, but the bird is able to modulate its voice so as to imitate the tones of various 



members of the feathered tribe. Otu- of tht-*- birds, that was domesticated by a person 

 who bod slightly wounded it and afterwards tended it until it had recovered, was so good a 

 mimic- that on excellent judge of songsters, who had heard its voice without seeing the bird 

 from which it proceeded, thought that he was li-t.'iiing to a concert of two starlings, two gold- 

 tinrln-*. and some songster, probably a siskin. This bird was fed upon insects and barley-meal 

 moistened with milk. 



It is a n-inarkably jiivtty and conspii-iioiis bird ; the beautiful rivst which decorates ' 

 crown and the delicate tints of the plumage renderimj it easily distinguishable from any of it* 

 kin. The head is ornamented with a crest of long, flowing feathers, which an; of a jVtty black 

 glossed with violet : and tin- n>rk, witnr*. and tail an- of the same hue. The chin, throat, 

 front of the neck* thighs, and under tail-roverts are also block, but without the blue gloss. 

 The back, scapularies, breast, sides, and abdomen are of a beautiful rose-pink ; the legs and 

 toes are yellowish-brown, and the beak yellow with a dash of rose. The total length of this 

 species is between eight and nine inches. The bird does not attain this beautiful plumage 

 until the third year ; in the first year there is no crest at all, and the plumage is simply colored 



