RAVENS. 227 



ladies were present ; then added, ' Now for the " Hills of Glenorchy," ' and began de novo. I have 

 heard many birds articulate, and am sure I shall be corroborated in the statement that, more 

 particularly in the Parrot tribe, the words are often a mere screech — harsh and dissonant to a musical 

 ear, and in many cases a stranger would require to be informed beforehand what the bird was going 

 to say, ere he could properly understand it ; with Richard it was quite the reverse ; his whole 

 performance was thoroughly musical, and so accurate was his vocalisation, that when at his best the 

 tuning-fork showed that his notes had not fallen to any appreciable extent at the end of his song. 

 Hundreds of times have I seen him roused from sleep at midnight, to gratify parties who had come 

 from a distance to hear him ; my father would bend over the cage, and say in a petting sort of way, 

 ' Come, now, Richard, give us the " Hills of Glenorchy," ' when the poor bird would hop over to the 

 wires, place his bill in my father's mouth, get a kiss, and then go through the whole performance as 

 often as he was asked. Richard had, besides his chef-d'osuvre, many stray sentences, which of them- 

 selves would have rendered him famous, such as calling the dog, ordering coals, &c. ; but these my 

 father discouraged. Richard died at the patriarchal age of sixteen, deeply regretted by those who 

 had, for so many years, looked upon and spoken to him as one of the family. While I write, he 

 is looking down on me from his glass shrine." 



THE SARDINIAN STARLING. 



The Sardinian Starling (Stumus unicolor) is a species inhabiting Southern Europe, and distin- 

 guished from the bird last described by the long and slender feathers upon its head and nape, and by 

 the colour of its plumage, the latter being of pale slate colour, almost entirely without spot, and only 

 enlivened by a very slight metallic lustre. The coat of the young bird is dark brown. This species 

 inhabits Spain, Southern Italy, and a large portion of Asia ; it is common in Cashmere, Scinde, and 

 the Punjaub; its size is somewhat larger than that of our Common Starling, which it closely resembles 

 in its habits. 



THE ROSE STARLING. 



The Rose Starling, or Shepherd-bird {Pastor rosats), is another European species, nearly 

 related to those last described, but having the beak somewhat more compressed at its sides, and 

 the upper mandible slightly curved ; the wings are also larger, and the tarsi higher than in the common 

 Starling. In the old male the feathers upon the head become elongated, and thus form a kind of tuft. 

 The Rose Starling is from eight and a quarter to eight and three-quarter inches long, and from sixteen 

 to eighteen and a half broad ; the wings measure three inches and a quarter. The plumage of 

 the old male is a rich black upon the head, throat, and upper breast, these parts being enlivened by a 

 beautiful purple gloss, also visible upon the wings and tail, which are brownish black ; the rest of the 

 body is of a delicate rose colour. The plumage of the female is paler in its tints and her tuft smaller 

 than that of her mate. The young wear the same garb as other young Starlings. 



South-Eastern Europe and a great part of Central Asia afford a home to this beautiful species, 

 which only occasionally visits other portions of our Continent, but migrates regularly to countries still 

 further south. In its mode of life it very much resembles the Common Starling, with which it 

 frequently associates, the various flocks at times sleeping in company upon beds of reeds, though the 

 Rose Starling usually prefers to seek the shelter of the woods during the night. The movements of 

 these birds when upon the ground are easier than those of their congeners ; but their voice is strange 

 and unpleasing — indeed, the song of a party of them has been well described as resembling the noises 

 made by a number of rats when the latter are fighting and disputing amongst themselves ; moreover, so 

 peculiar is their manner of singing when any number are together, that a listener would imagine them 

 to be engaged in shrill and noisy altercation. In some parts of the country they are known as the 



