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It has been met with from time to time in Southern Germany. The Ritter von Tschusi 

 Schmidhofen kindly informs me that it often occurs in Hungary and Seibenbiirgen, but seldom 

 in large flocks. Early in June 1871 a flock numbering several hundreds appeared at Ponowitsch, 

 in Krain. He himself shot a female in his garden at Salzburg. Stragglers are observed now 

 and then in almost all parts of Austria ; and Dr. Anton Fritsch states that it has repeatedly been 

 obtained in Bohemia, and cites instances of its having been met with at Prague in 1837 and 

 1838 (Voboril), Stiahlan in 1855 (Ziva, iii. p. 383), Sezemin near Pardubic in 1859, Sobotka in 

 1862 (Fierlinger), Podebrad in 1865 (Hoffmann), Rosendorf near Teitschen in June 1868 

 (Zimmermann), Dobrichovic near Prague in the summer (Lokaj), Wittingau (Mus. Frauenberg), 

 and on several occasions at Pardubic (Hromddko). Messrs. Elwes and Buckley write that in 

 some years it is " very abundant in Bulgaria, but does not come regularly. It is one of the 

 latest summer visitors to arrive, as the flocks do not make their appearance before the latter 

 end of May, when they at once take up their quarters in a sandpit, or bank of earth, and 

 commence nidification. The nests are made at- the end of a hole bored in the earth like a 

 Sand-Martin's, sometimes to a considerable depth. The eggs are like a Starling's, but much 

 more glossy and of a paler blue. Near Milchova, in the Dobrudscha, Ave saw the breeding- 

 place of a large colony; and Mr. Barkley informed us that, in the summer of 1867, a* cutting 

 on the Varna and Rustchuk Railway was frequented by two or three hundred of this species." 

 It is by no means an uncommon bird in Southern Russia, and has been referred to by almost all 

 the Russian travellers. Von Nordmann met with it near Odessa. Eversmann writes that it is 

 very common on the Southern Don, the Volga, and the Ural, and northwards to Saratoff and 

 Orenburg ; and Radde says that numbers arrive in Southern Russia with the locusts, on which 

 they feed, and in destroying which they are most useful. It is common in Asia Minor, where, 

 as below stated, Antinori met with it breeding ; and Dr. Kriiper writes to me that " it arrives at 

 Smyrna early in May, and on the 14th of May I saw large flocks. Both this and last year they 

 bred here [at Smyrna] in large colonies, nesting amongst the stones in the mountains. Early in 

 July the young birds appear on the plains ; and early in August they all disappear, the last being 

 seen on the 15th of August. During the breeding-season they make raids on the mulberry trees. 

 The young birds eat, besides grasshoppers, large numbers of mulberries. In July thousands are 

 killed and sold for the table." In Palestine, Dr. Tristram writes, "it is not even a winter 

 visitant, but occasionally appears in vast flocks. It is well known to the natives as the Locust- 

 bird, from its habit of preying on that destructive creature, whose flights it generally follows. 

 We found it in 1858, but not in 1864. It has been known to breed in large colonies in 

 Palestine, but not for many years past. So at Smyrna numbers of nests were taken in 1858, 

 while since that year it has scarcely been seen there. The behaviour of the Pastor in Syria 

 reminds us of that of the Waxwing further north, an erratic rather than a migratory bird." 



In Africa it appears to be an extremely rare bird ; and, indeed, Professor Sundevall doubts 

 its occurrence there. However, Dr. von Heuglin states that he saw one in Egypt, which had 

 been killed on the 25th of August, 1864, near Djizeh ; and Loche writes that it is " of accidental 

 and very irregular occurrence in Algeria, generally in spring, with flocks of Starlings." Levaillant 

 describes this species from South Africa ; but Mr. E. L. Layard says : — " This is denied by all 

 subsequent authors; and I believe the species never visits South Africa. It has certainly 



