THRUSH. 43 



base, though in some it is wholly flesh-coloured ; irides pale ; the 

 feathers of the head are long, and form a crest ; the head, neck, 

 wings, and tail black, glossed with blue, purple, and green, in 

 different lights ; back, rump, breast, belly, and lesser wing-coverts, 

 pale rose-colour, with a few irregular dark spots ; legs pale red, 

 claws crooked and brown. The female is paler. We have many 

 reasons for thinking that the teints of these birds differ much, as 

 Russel calls our rose, a flesh-colour, and the name it is called by in 

 the JPetersbargh Transactions is sanguineous. 



This beautiful species is not only met with in various parts of 

 Europe, but likewise in Asia and Africa. It comes in great numbers 

 about Aleppo in July & August, in pursuit of the swarms of locusts, 

 and is therefore held sacred by the Turks, as great quantities are 

 destroyed by these birds ; seen also in vast flocks, every year, in the 

 south of Russia, about the River Don ; and in Siberia, about the 

 Irtish ; finding there not only abundance of locusts as food, but con- 

 venience for breeding between the rocks. Is common on the borders 

 of the Caspian Sea, about Astrachan, and from thence along the 

 Volga. We hear of it in Switzerland and Lapland, but is said 

 never to exceed the bounds of the latter. 



I have met with this bird in various drawings from India,* but 

 the rosy, or reddish coloured tinge of very different depths of colour, 

 the black deeper or paler in shade, and in some inclining to brown. 

 At Hindustan it is called Cassaney ; in the Persic tongue, Tulleir. 

 Is the Saum-dyal of Bengal, and Golaube maina of Hindustan. 



Levaillant observes, that those which deviate most from black 

 are younger birds, and such are pale brown ; that they are found in 

 parts about the Cape of Good Hope, flying in flocks like Starlings. 

 The song a sort of whistle, prolonged at intervals. The nest 

 unknown. The instances of its being found in England are rare ; 

 Edwards mentions two ; we have seen one, that was shot at Grant- 



* At Cawnpore, in March 1798, 

 G 2 



