428 



6 



never appeared in any of the collections I have examined ; and some have been from up as far as 

 the Zambesi." 



To the eastward it occurs through Persia into India. Abbott met with it at Trebizond, and 

 Russell at Aleppo. De Filippi states that it is " very abundant in the Caucasus, Armenia, and 

 the west of Persia, becoming rarer towards the east ;" and Dr. Jerdon writes that " it is found 

 throughout the greater part of India, most abundant in the south and south-west, fare towards 

 the north and north-east, and, apparently, not known in Assam and Burmah, unless P. peguanus, 

 Lesson, be the immature state of this bird." Major Irby records it from Oudh and Kumaon as 

 " common in flocks in January and February. All the specimens which I examined were of a 

 much paler rose-colour than those which I have seen in the Crimea, where it was very common 

 in May and June ;" Dr. Leith Adams speaks of it as " very gregarious, and abundant during the 

 harvest months in the Punjab, and destructive in barley-fields; whole districts have been 

 devastated by this bird. Not seen on the Himalayas ; common around Poonah, in the Deccan. 

 It is often seen associating with Acridotheres tristis;" and Captain Beavan met with it at 

 Barrackpore in February, and further writes as follows: — " Perulia, Maunbhoom, April 1864. 

 Enormous flocks of these birds may be seen every evening flying to the islands in the lake here, 

 where they roost in trees, together with Acridotheres tristis and Sturnopastor contra, Herons and 

 Cormorants ; but the flocks of P. roseus are by far the largest, and, when they rise suddenly from 

 the trees on hearing the report of a gun, create a rushing sound, and appear like a vast animated 

 cloud. They fly, too, much faster than the allied species, and may be easily distinguished from 

 the latter by their arrowy flight, which is very similar to that of the common English Starling. 

 They have only lately been noticed here, and, as the breeding-season of most birds is already 

 far advanced, can scarcely have time, one would think, to get to Western Asia, as supposed by 

 Dr. Jerdon, for the purpose of nidification." Major Franklin records it from the " Ganges 

 between Calcutta and Benares, and in the Vindhyan hills between the latter place and Gurrah 

 Mundela, on the Nerbudda ;" and Colonel Sykes obtained it in Dukhun. It was also observed 

 in flocks in January in the Andaman Islands by Captain Beavan ; and Mr. E. L. Layard saw it at 

 Point Pedro, in Ceylon. It does not appear to have been met with by any of the Siberian 

 travellers, and is not included by Mr. Swinhoe in his list of the birds of China. 



The Rose-coloured Starling bears great resemblance to the common Starling in its habits 

 and mode of nidification. Like that bird it associates in large flocks, and frequents places where 

 cattle are found ; it feeds on grubs and insects of various sorts ; and stragglers are often met 

 with consorting with Starlings. Von Nordmann has given a long and detailed account of the 

 habits of this species as observed in the south of Russia (Demidoff, ' Voyage dans la Russie 

 Meridionale,' vol. iii. pp. 307-334). He states that in the neighbourhood of Odessa the birds 

 arrive in flocks, but already paired, about the middle of April ; their flight and general habits in 

 chosing a roosting-place &c, are very similar to those of the Starling, with flocks of which they 

 may often be seen mingled; but they scarcely ever perch upon the backs of cattle as their 

 congeners do. In spite of their brilliant plumage, a flock of these birds, when perched upon the 

 Robinia viscosa, might easily be passed unnoticed, the rosy tints of their plumage harmonizing 

 with the colour of the flowers of that tree. At night they select trees of thick foliage for their 

 roosting-place, and are fond of mounting to the highest branches. They are at this time 



