8 THE NATURAL HISTORY 
| Maked; and when it is angry, they appear very _ 
red. It has a black line of feathers on its head. | 
One that was kept in.a cage fwallowed a young 
rat whole, it firft bruifed the rat we the wires - 
to make it foft. 
‘Thefe birds are very fond of slatsheppbret 
pair of them was fent for to the Ifle of a 
_ near Africa, to,eat the grafshoppers which were 
- very troublefome; they increafed very faft and 
killed all the grafshoppers, and now they are very | 
troublefome themfelves, for they eat the grapes 
-and the dates and the corn, and fly into Pigeon-_ 
--houfes and kill the young Pigeons. a 
Some birds of this genus are found in America, 
and fome in Egynt. e 
There is one that comes from China, cated | 
the Chinefe Starling ; its feathers are black, but 
its bill and legs are yellow; and a little tuft of 
feathers lh from the bottom of its bill. 

