STARLING 207 



Family STURNID^E. 



Genus STURNUS, Linm-eus. 



STAELING. 



StuDUis vulgaris, Linnaeus. S.N., i., p. 290 



(1766). 



Stare or Starling, Boys, 1792. 



The Starling is extremely abundant all over the 

 county. In the spring they separate into pairs for the 

 breeding season, and in the autumn and winter they may 

 be seen in large flocks in the pastures, especially among 

 the sheep. 



It is very amusing to see these wonderfully active birds 

 searching the lawn and garden for food for their young, 

 probing, as they do, every hole or crevice in the ground 

 for any living insect or worm. 



Mr. Morris mentions that Mr. Chaffey, of Doddington, 

 Kent, has in his possession two of these birds, pure 

 white, shot in the Isle of Sheppey. A pure white 

 Starling was seen for some time in the Orlestone district, 

 and then disappeared. 



In the Birds Observed at Bainham, 1865, Mr. AV. H. 

 Power writes : "A large flock of these birds continually 

 waged war with some Kestrels for possession of the roof 

 of a shed on the marshes, and very often succeeded in 

 driving off their adversaries. On November 11, 1864, 

 near the same place, I saw, in company with a flock of 

 Starlings, a perfectly white one. Several times during 

 the course of the day did I try to get within range, but 

 was always unsuccessful." 



In the Zoologist, 1888, Mr. F. H. Parrot mentions the 



