Rose-coloured Pastor. 213 



roosting in masses is productive of considerable mischief to the 

 reed-beds, which are of great value, the vast numbers settling 

 on the same reed bearing it down and breaking it with the un- 

 wonted weight ; and even plantations and copses sometimes 

 suffer a certain amount of damage from a similar destruction of 

 the leading branches of the young trees. Canon Jackson informs 

 me that one of these enormous colonies of Starlings had been for 

 many years alloAved without disturbance to roost nightly in one 

 of the late Mr. Neeld's plantations alongside the public way (the 

 Foss Road) at Duriley, near ' The Elm and Ash,' about two miles 

 from Grittleton ; but in April, 1850, the keeper, whose cottage 

 was only a few yards off, having had occasion one night to take 

 a few of the birds prisoners for some shooting practice the next 

 day, the whole colony resented the breach of hospitality, and 

 suddenly left the place altogether. It was then found that they 

 had entirely spoiled the young trees and laurel shrubs on about 

 one acre of the plantation ; but, to make up for the damage, 

 had bequeathed a valuable deposit of guano, of which no less 

 than sixty loads were hauled away. The Rev. A. P. Morres 

 reports that there is another great Starling roost in Odstock 

 Copse in his neighbourhood, near Salisbury. 



92. ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR (Pastor roseus}. 



This very beautiful bird is extremely rare in England, a few 

 stragglers only having occasionally appeared ; it is a native of 

 the hottest parts of Asia and Africa, but migrates northward in 

 summer, and is sparingly scattered throughout the southern 

 countries of Europe every year, the outskirts of the army some- 

 times penetrating so far north as Britain. The first instance I 

 adduce of its undoubted occurrence in Wiltshire was in 1853 

 end of July or beginning of August when a specimen was killed 

 by a shepherd on Salisbury Plain, near Wilton, and is now in 

 the possession of the Rev. G. Powell, of Sutton Veny, who 

 informed me that it was quite alone when shot, feeding on the 

 ground. Another as I learnt from Canon Eddrup was shot 



