LN RO DAU CO Ne

IXXXV1L

are at once interesting and useful,—interesting on account of their beauty, and useful from the good they
c c c

ffect in the countries they frequent by the destruction of the locusts and other insects and their larve, upon
effec 5 .

which they feed.
185. Pasror ROSEUS. : : ; : : Vol. II. Pl. LY.

Rose-coLoureD Pasror.

186. Pasror rosEUS . : : : : : : ; 3 : Vol. I. Pl. LYE.
Rose-coLourep Pasror (young).

A beautiful but unusually-coloured bird, which is very plentiful in Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and

Western India. It is merely an accidental visitor to England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Family ICTERID.

This is a purely American family, comprising considerably more than a hundred species, which are spread
over the continent of America and the approximate islands. Two of them have from time to time wandered

far from their native homes and sought a haven in the British Islands.

Genus AGELatus.

Of this section of Icterine birds about five species are known, the habitats of which are almost exclusively

confined to the temperate and northern parts of the American continent.

187. AGELAIUS PH@NICEUS.

Red-winged Starling.

5

Nine instances are on record of the occurrence of this species in Britain, namely seven in England and

two in Scotland. The earliest of these appears to be the one mentioned as having been taken near London,

by Albin, in his ‘ History of British Birds,’ published in 1731-38, after which the bird seems to have remained
unnoticed until the year 1843, between which date and 1871 eight others are described as having been met
with in various parts of the country. The late Mr. Yarrell figured this transatlantic species in the supplement
to his ‘History of British Birds,’ to which work, as well as those of Wilson and Audubon, I must refer my
readers for its history; for, as I do not consider the bird pertains to our fauna, I have not included a figure
of it in this work.

Genus Srurnewva.

A yee Westen eer Ia aeeatice 5 1 j
peculiar group of grass-loving birds, strictly confined to America, over which country the five known
species are distributed.