8820 



Birds, 



frequently had occasion to note the occurrence of the gray wagtail during the months 

 of August and September that it may now be considered as a regular autumn visitor. 

 It usually appears after a stiff breeze from S. or S.W. ; but whether this drives it from 

 the south, or detains it upon its way from the north, yet remains to be proved. The 

 latter can scarcely be the case, for Yarrell observes thai " this species has no very 

 high northern range, never appearing in Denmark, Norway or Sweden ;" nor is it 

 included in Mr. Newton's ' Catalogue of the Birds of Iceland.' — Henry L. Sax by ; 

 Baltasound, Shetland, September 17, 1863. 



Notes on the Rosecoloi/red Pastor. By Henry L. Saxby, M.D. 



A young bird of this species made its appearance here last week, 

 and was shot by me soon afterwards. As it flew past with some 

 starlings its light colour immediately attracted my attention ; but 

 never having previously seen one in first year's plumage, I was 

 unable to satisfy myself as to its species without a closer inspection. 

 The flock alighted among a number of cows, and then, by creeping 

 behind a loosely -built wall, I approached sufficiently near to obtain a 

 good view of the then unknown bird, and to make some notes as to 

 its general appearance and habits, which are usually described as pre- 

 cisely resembling those of the starling ; but in this case some slight 

 points of difference most certainly existed. Several times the flock 

 was disturbed, and flew off to other feeding-grounds ; and the pastor, 

 although apparently desirous of keeping up with it, was not unfre- 

 qnently left some distance behind ; and even upon the ground it 

 sometimes wandered far away : when the starlings made any sud- 

 den stop or wheel it became widely separated from them ; but, like 

 them, it usually alighted abruptly, although it occasionally circled a 

 little previously. It approached the cows quite fearlessly, and twice 

 it darted rapidly forward and appeared to seize an insect upon the 

 foot of one of them. I think that it procured all of its food either 

 upon or above the surface of the ground ; for during the whole time 

 of my presence, a period of about three hours, I never observed it 

 boring with its bill, although its companions were constantly doing 

 so, the hour being early, and the ground consequently still soft. 

 When, by an incautious movement, I either occasioned a slight noise 

 or exposed myself to view, the main body of the starlings, obedient 

 to the warning cry of the most vigilant, immediately paused, looked 

 up in their peculiar manner, and took flight ; and the pastor, when it 

 happened to witness any indications of alarm, at once took the hint 

 and made off with the rest ; but the cry alone was evidently lost upon 



