346 



PERCHING BIRDS. 



Black Starling. 



In Southern Europe the spotted starling of the British Isles is 

 replaced by the black or Sardinian starling (S. unicolor), which is 

 abundant in some parts of Spain and Portugal. Mr. Tait says that it is very 

 common in the interior of Portugal, and that it is a very restless bird, often seen 

 flying up and down in small flocks. Although some individuals reside in the 

 Peninsula all through the year, the bulk of the black starlings, which breed in 

 Spain, appear to pass the winter in Algeria, where they feed upon the fruit of the 

 date-palms. This starling nests both under the eaves of outhouses and also in 

 crevices of rocks. Its nesting habits are said to be identical with those of the 



ROSE-COLOURED STARLING ( nat. size). 



common starling, and the egg is of a similar pale blue colour. The black starling- 

 has the entire plumage black, glossed with purple, without any spots whatever ; 

 the smaller feathers being very long and tapering. It is shown in the lower 

 figure of the illustration on p. 345. 



Rose-coloured The single representative of the genus Pastor differs from the true 



starling. starlings in having the head furnished with a long and conspicuous 

 crest, reaching to the upper part of the back. One of the most beautiful of 

 European birds, the rose-coloured starling (P. roseus), has its winter-home in 

 India, from which country it is, however, absent during the breeding-season. 

 Occasionally wandering as far north as the west of Scotland, this bird is very 

 erratic in its habits, and many years have passed since it has been seen in any 



