146 OxMNlVOROUS BIRDS. 



fowls, in the ordure of domestic animals. The foreign 

 species nest in hollow trees, under the tiles and roofings 

 of houses, and in the holes of walls ; but the ambiguous, 

 American kind, confined to low meadows and savannahs, 

 constructs its nest in tufts of rank grass. Species are 

 found in all parts of the globe. The common Starling 

 has been taught to articulate words, and sings pretty well 

 in confinement, though with something of the monoto- 

 nous jingle of our common Blackbird. 



Subgenus. — Sturnella. (American Starling.) 



In thes^the sinus at the base of the bill is deep and rounded. 

 With the hind toe as long as the middle one, and greatly exceeding 

 the lateral. The wings shortish and somewhat rounded. No spuri- 

 ous or additional wing feather at the shoulder. The 1st and 5th pri- 

 maries about equal ; the 2d, 3d, and 4th longest ; two of the seconda- 

 ries also much elongated. Peculiar to America, very distinct from 

 the common Stare, and allied to the following genus, but more re- 

 motely to the Larks. 



