STRANGERS OF THE AUTUMN. 201 



Turkestan. Nutcrackers, though for the most 

 part resident, occasionally visit the British Islands 

 from the forests of Northern Europe ; but they, 

 like the beautiful Waxwing, are only gipsy migrants, 

 and appear at very uncertain intervals. Pallas's 

 Gray Shrike and the Great Gray Shrike are also 

 accidental visitors to this country in autumn, the 

 former from the forests of Siberia, the latter from 

 Northern Europe. Gray Shrikes obtained in the 

 British Islands require careful identification, for 

 these two species are very easily confused. 



Specially interesting are the autumn move- 

 ments of the Rose-coloured Pastor. This re- 

 markably handsome bird appears accidentally in 

 the British Islands usually young ones which, 

 having had no experience of the road, lose their 

 way and wander aimlessly about. The Rose- 

 coloured Pastor is one of those birds whose migra- 

 tions are very exceptional, journeying eastwards 

 in autumn to its winter home in India. This 

 species well illustrates the complexity of the 

 various movements of birds ; and on its way east 

 to India must absolutely pass many other species 

 which are travelling just as directly west ! Other 

 gipsy migrants which turn up from time to time 

 in the British Islands are the Pine Grosbeak and 

 the White-winged Crossbill from the northern 

 forests of Europe. The American form of White- 

 winged Crossbill also visits this country by way of 

 Greenland, and doubtless it has been much con- 

 fused with its European representative. One or 



