APPENDIX 



*THE OLD WORLD STARLING 



(Often confused with our Red-winged Blackbird, Purple and 

 Bronze Crackles, etc.) 



About the length of a Catbird but more heavily built. Spring 

 feathers purple and greenish with a metal lustre. Upper parts 

 tipped with buff. Bill yellow. 



Young birds and old in fall and ivinter. Bill hrown. Rusty 

 tinge to feathers which are now heavily spotted with buff. Under 

 parts spotted with white. 



Young, just from the nest, dull grayish. Starlings walk like our 

 grackles but never hop. First few notes of Spring song clear and 

 musical. Flight rapid. Wings long and -pointed. Tail short and 

 square. 



In early Spring when the marsh fr()t]:s begin to peep, 

 a clear, whistled bird note will make you rush out of doors 

 without stopping for coat or hat, calling, "The Grackles 

 have come back ! Or maybe it is a Redwing ; it doesn't 

 sound quite right, but it must be one of the two !" 



Then you look about for the bird who ga\'e the whistle. 

 There it is in the tree over the fence, and at that very mo- 

 ment it drops with widespread, motionless wings to the 

 meadow below, followed by several others. Together 

 they walk about prying into every hollow, pecking 

 at the grubs they have uncovered with their powerful 

 sharp bills. 



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