PASTOE KOSEUS. 79 



the end of April in roofs of houses in towns, and they make use 

 of the old Moorish towers, besides building in holes of trees ; 

 the eggs exactly resemble those of 8. vulgar is. They are more 

 common some sixty miles north of Gibraltar than in the imme 

 diate vicinity. 'Three or four pairs used to frequent the Venta 

 at Casas Viejas, and during November and December nearly 

 every morning assembled on the roof, whistling and pluming 

 themselves before going forth for the day. The amo, or landlord, 

 well known as " old Bernardo," begged me not to molest them 

 a request I most scrupulously complied with ; but on my return 

 there in 1874, they were absent, probably killed by some of the 

 shooting visitors from Gibraltar. Whether the death of the old 

 man caused them to lack protection I cannot say. This old 

 fellow, who had served as a sergeant in the Spanish army, and 

 was present at the defence of Tarifa in 1811, was a fine specimen 

 of the Spaniard, and used to tell wonderful stories of his 

 soldiering days. I regret that since his decease the Venta has 

 changed for the worse, both in prices and accommodation. 



Head and back uniform. No spots in breeding-plumage, but in winter 

 all the body-feathers are tipped with arrow-shaped spots of greyish white. 

 Length 8^ inches. 



70. Pastor roseus (Linnaeus) . The Rose-coloured Starling. 



The Rose-coloured Pastor, as it used to be termed, is an 

 occasional wanderer from the East to Andalucia, and has been 

 obtained near Seville and Malaga. 



Male. Head black, with crest of pointed and elongated feathers ; back, 

 scapulars, rump, breast, sides, and belly rosy pink; wings, tail, and thiglis 

 black ; bill rose-coloured, black at base. 



Female. Crest smaller and less bright. 



Young. Crest absent ; colour greyish brown, where rosy in adults. 

 Length 8^ inches. 



