ROSE-COLOURED STARLING. 247 



trees, on each of which were perched several dozens of 

 young birds, while many hundreds sat on the larger trees, 

 in the tops of which all roosted at night. In this garden 

 the birds remained about ten days and then dispersed. 



In the summer of 1856 the Marchese Oratio Antinori had 

 as ample an opportunity of observing one of these wonderful 

 breeding-assemblages near Smyrna. Large flocks of the 

 birds appeared about May 15th, and others continued to 

 arrive until June 5th, soon after which it became evident 

 that they were breeding in the neighbourhood. It was not 

 however until June 27th, that he, with Herr Gonzenbach, 

 obtained any eggs. On the 30th those gentlemen ascended 

 the hills above the village of Bournabat (the gardens of 

 which were full of these Starlings both old and young, for 

 many of the latter had already left the nest) when they 

 found every stone covered with the droppings of the birds, 

 while higher up an extent of rock for 200 square yards 

 looked as though lime-washed. On this spot says the first 

 of these observers (Naumannia, 1856, p. 407) " the nests 

 were by thousands, some quite open and uncovered, others 

 so hidden under blocks of stone that these needed turning 

 to examine them ; some were at the depth of about a foot, 

 others could not be reached by the arm. The nests were so 

 close together that they often touched. They were built 

 without any skill, for the bird was content with a deepening 

 scraped in the soil, in which were to be found some dry 

 straws or leaves of the agnocasta, and very seldom a border 

 of grass-stalks : I saw several in which the eggs lay on the 

 bare ground." Around was evidence of the destruction 

 caused by various four-footed foes, from jackals to rats, 

 which preyed on old and young alike, while snakes probably 

 took toll indefinitely of the eggs. 



But what must have been in several respects a still 

 more remarkable visitation has been recounted by Sig. de 

 Betta (Atti del R. Istituto veneto, ser. V. ii.), as occurring 

 at Villafranca in the province of Verona. In the afternoon 

 of June 3d, 1875, a flock of about twenty birds alighted 

 on the high ruins of the castle at that place, and was 



VOL. II. K K 



