32 THE ROSE-COLOURED STARLING. 



A very interesting account of the breeding of 

 these birds in the same district sixteen years 

 previously, is to be found in the •' Zoologist " 

 for 1857, p. 5668, translated from an article in 

 " Naumannia " by the Marquis O. Antinori. He 

 and Mr. Gonzenbach did not discover the locality 

 until the young had left the nests. The birds 

 arrived during the last week of May, and fresh 

 eggs must have been laid about the loth of June ; 

 but by the end of that month the young had left 

 the nest, and by the middle of July», both old and 

 young had left the locality. The breeding-place 

 was a rocky mountain-side, and long before it 

 was reached, they noticed that every rock and 

 stone was covered with the white droppings of 

 the birds. The nests were in thousands, some 

 quite open and uncovered, others so concealed 

 amongst the blocks of stone, that it was necessary 

 to turn the rocks over to find them. Some were 

 more than a foot below the surface, and others 

 beyond arm's length. The nests were often so 

 close together as to touch one another ; they were 

 carelessly made of dry stalks and leaves, occasion- 

 ally lined with fine grass. Many eggs were laid 

 on the bare ground. The great number of birds 



