346 
PERCHING BIRDS. 
k stariin I* 1 Southern Europe the spotted starling of the British Isles is 
replaced by the black or Sardinian starling (S. unicolor), which is 
abundant in some parts of Spain and Portugal. Mr. Tait says that it is very 
common in the interior of Portugal, and that it is a very restless bird, often seen 
Hying up and down in small docks. Although some individuals reside in the 
Peninsula all through the year, the bulk of the black starlings, which breed in 
Spain, appear to pass the winter in Algeria, where they feed upon the fruit of the 
date-palms. This starling nests both under the eaves of outhouses and also in 
crevices of rocks. Its nesting habits are said to be identical with those of the 
ROSE-COLOURED STARLING (f Rat. Size). 
common starling, and the egg is of a similar pale blue colour. The black starling- 
lias the entire plumage black, glossed with purple, without any spots whatever; 
the smaller feathers being very long and tapering. It is shown in the lower 
dgure of the illustration on p. 345. 
Rose-Coloured The single representative of the genus Pastor differs from the true 
starling. starlings in having the head furnished with a long and conspicuous 
crest, reaching to the upper part of the back. One of the most beautiful of 
European birds, the rose-coloured starling (P. roseus), has its winter-home in 
India, from which country it is, however, absent during the breeding-season. 
Occasionally wandering as far north as the west of Scotland, this bird is very 
erratic in its habits, and many years have passed since it has been seen in any 
