ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR. 17t 



INSESSORES. STURNIDJE. 



CONIROSTRES. 



PLATE CXXIIL 



ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR, 

 Pastor roseus. 



The native countries of the Rose-coloured Pastor are 

 Africa, and the warmer parts of Asia, where they are found in 

 plenty. They range from India over Persia, Arabia, Syria, 

 the south of Siberia, and southern Russia. They also 

 annually visit Greece, the south of Italy, and Spain. Where- 

 ever else these birds appear in Europe, it is only as occasional 

 visitants. 



The Pastors are generally reported to be very sociable 

 birds ; they assemble in flocks like starlings, and often asso- 

 ciate with them. 



The food of the Pastor consists chiefly in insects, their 

 eggs, larvse and worms. Like the starling, the Pastor alights 

 familiarly on the backs of cows and sheep : their most favou- 

 rite food consists in grasshoppers ; and they pursue locusts 

 over countries of great extent. In consequence of their great 

 partiality for these insects, the Rose-coloured Pastor is con- 

 sidered a sacred bird in Turkey, and prohibited to be de- 

 stroyed. In countries where they are plentiful, they are 

 reckoned to be a great delicacy. 



We have once only had, ourselves, the pleasure of seeing 

 this bird alive : it was a caged specimen, and in rather a 

 faded state of plumage. In actions and form this indivi- 



