CATALOGUE OF 15IRDS. 255 



eaves of a house, or in a barn or church tower, or 

 other building, and uses the same site year after 

 year." 



The nest, commenced usually in April, is con- 

 structed of a lot of grass, roots, straw, etc., with a 

 little moss, and lining of a few feathers and wool. 

 Four to six eggs are laid, of a pale blue colour. The 

 food consists of worms, grubs, insect life of all kinds, 

 etc., also berries and fruit. 



I have often watched Starlings feeding in pasture 

 lands. What restless little busybodies they seem 

 to be ! running here, there, and everywhere for food, 

 rushing at any particular spot where one of them 

 has found something extra good ; greedy little birds, 

 never satisfied, feeding all the livelong day. 



In localities where Starlings are abundant they 

 keep on gathering towards the close of day at their 

 roosting-place, and then, when they are all collected, 

 rise in one vast cloud of countless numbers, which 

 Mr. W. H. Hudson says, "when seen from a 

 distance may easily be mistaken for a long black 

 cloud suspended above the wood, and that it is one 

 of the finest sights that bird life presents in 

 England." 



There is nothing of particular interest in con- 

 nection with the specimens in the case, which were 

 obtained when I was staying at the little inn at 

 Fosdyke, in Lincolnshire, in 1903. 



The species has a wide distribution abroad. 



