The Starling. 37 



gateway [noticed Vol. V. p. 12., Vol. VI. p. 38.] that a wild 

 duck hatched her young, about three years ago ; and, when 

 this used to be the entrance into the island on which stands 

 my house, I have known, year after year, the common fly- 

 catcher make her nest in a hole at the top of one of the doors ; 

 and, though that door was opened and shut by every passing 

 person, still she did not take fright, but sat on the nest, as the 

 gate moved on its hinges." This last case may also serve as 

 another example of the natural timidity of birds being lessened 

 during incubation. — J. D. 



Art. VI. The Starling. By Charles Waterton, Esq. 



" I can't get out, — I can't get out, said the starling." I 

 know not any thing, except Gay's " Hare and many Friends," 

 that made so much impression on me, when a boy, as Sterne's 

 description of the captive starling in its cage. His attempt 

 to relieve the prisoner bird, — its pressing its breast against 

 the wires, — its telling every body who came down the pass- 

 age that it could not get out, — its remaining in hopeless cap- 

 tivity, — all tended to make this pretty bird particularly 

 interesting to me ; and, in days long past, I have spent many 

 an hour in listening to its morning warblings, and in admiring 

 its aerial evolutions towards the close of day. 



I wish I could do it a friendly turn, for the pleasure it has 

 so often afforded me ; but, in taking up the pen to clear its 

 character, my heart misgives me, on account of tJie strong 

 public prejudice against it. 



There is not a bird in all Great Britain more harmless than 

 the starling : still it has to suffer persecution, and is too often 

 doomed to see its numbers thinned by the hand of wanton- 

 ness or error. The farmer complains that it sucks his pigeons' 

 eggs ; and, when the gunner and his assembled party wish to 

 try their new percussion locks, the keeper is ordered to close 

 the holes of entrance into the dovecot overnight ; and the 

 next morning three or four dozen of starlings are captured 

 to be shot : while the keeper, that slave of Nimrod, receives 

 thanks, and often a boon, from the surrounding sportsmen, for 

 having freed the dovecot from such a pest. Alas ! these 

 poor starlings had merely resorted to it for shelter and pro- 

 tection, and were in no way responsible for the fragments of 

 egg-shells which were strewed upon the floor. These frag- 

 ments were the work of deep designing knaves, and not of 

 the harmless starling. 



The rat and the weasel were the real destroyers ; but they 



d 3 



