532 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



breeds it is a welcome harbinger of spring, doubly appreciated on account of its intel- 

 ligence, which induces it to take up its abode in quarters provided for it by its human 

 friends, whom it repays for their care by destroying millions of obnoxious insects. They 

 readily breed in boxes nailed to the sides of dwelling-houses, and the more boxes there 

 are the better, for the starling is an extremely gregarious bird. In this, as in many 

 other respects, the starling strikingly resembles our blackbird, and it is only a matter of 

 surprise to me that the early settlers of this country did not transfer the familiar 

 name to the American bird. 



The lovely pink color which pervades those parts of the pastor's plumage which are 

 not glossy greenish black (see the cut) makes it one 'of the finest looking birds of the 

 Old World. Pastor roseus is an inhabitant of the plains and steppes of western 

 Asia, breeding irregularly as far west as Switzerland. During its autumnal wander- 

 ings small flocks are often detached from the large bodies and straggle about, often 

 wide from its original home. It winters regularly in India. To the Rev. Mr. Tristram 

 the reader is indebted for the following graphic sketch of his experience with the rosy 

 pastor during his travels in the East : 



"From Kelat Seijar we pursued for two days a northeasterly course over the Syr- 

 ian plain, and through the whole journey flock after flock of Pastors passed us, all 

 pursuing a due west route. At one place we came suddenly, after mounting a gen- 

 tle ascent, on the crater of an extinct volcano, full of water, and surrounded with 

 basalt boulders. As we came up, one of these flights, which had alighted to drink, 

 rose in alarm and darkened the air overhead. About a dozen fell to a random shot, 

 and every one I picked up was in full breeding-plumage. At another place a soli- 

 tary tree over a well was so covered with them that the color of the tree changed 

 from black to green as we approached. Once we came on a patch of some acres 

 which had recently been visited by locusts. The old locusts were gone, but the young, 

 not more than a quarter of an inch long, made the ground literally alive. They rose 

 at every step of our horses like sand-lice on the seashore from a seaweed left by the 

 tide. Just after we had passed through this patch of devastating flight, I turned my 

 head and saw a great globe in the air. It suddenly turned, expanded, and like a vast 

 fan descended to the ground. We waited a few minutes, and saw acres covered with 

 a moving black mass, dappled with pink. In a short time the mass became restless, 

 and we rode back. The birds rose quietly, but not till we were close on them, and 

 only those within dangerous distance. But not a young locust could we see. The 

 Pastor had well earned its name of the ' Locust-bird,' and one batch of foes to man 

 and his labors had been promptly and forever exterminated." 



Here is a bird well worth introducing into this country. Why did our busybodies 

 not think of this beautiful benefactor, instead of creating the English sparrow nui- 

 sance ? 



Africa has a group of starlings peculiar to the dark continent, belonging to the 

 genera Lamprocollus, Lamprotornis, Juida, etc., which with a common name we 

 designate as glossy-mynas. They are generally of blackish color, with shining metallic 

 reflections, green and blue, and several species have long and ample tails. Many of 

 them are, therefore, superficially quite similar to our American crow-blackbirds (Quis- 

 calus). There is no need, however, of referring to drawings, or museum specimens, 

 for they are seen on every other lady's hat. 



Another African genus, quite aberrant on account of its strong and hard beak, 

 may perhaps be entitled to sub-family rank. It is composed of only two species of the 



