84 Northern Observations of Inland Birds 



which the leader of the flock pulls. The flocks, however, 

 vary greatly, and are evidently the result of careful 

 weeding out and selection. The bird that cannot 

 manoeuvre with the rest is turned out, and duly forms 

 one of a scratch pack made up of stragglers like himself 

 — probably the majority of them young birds of that 

 season. All, however, resort to the excellent practice of 

 mounting pickets and outposts — another reason for their 

 powers of survival. When the pack is feeding in the 

 stubble or among the corn ricks or on the seashore, 

 somewhere, perched aloft, no great distance away, the 

 sentry keeps an alert vigilance. One note of warning 

 from him and simultaneously every bird of the pack 

 crouches, ready to rise. Should the warning be followed 

 by the alarm, away they go, banking and swerving upwind 

 together ; but should the w^arning be followed by the 

 *' all's well " sign, they are in an instant industriously 

 searching for food again. Thus the stable cat that would 

 stalk a pack of starlings, the gunner who would surprise 

 them, or the hawk that would descend upon them, must 

 indeed approach warily if he is to evade the detection of 

 that alert and wary sentry. 



One point more regarding this interesting bird — the 

 adaptability of the starling is very amply illustrated by 

 the manner in which it adopts the call-notes of other 

 birds. How often I have looked round for the heron 

 or the curlew in the sky, presently to be undeceived by 

 the sight of Mr. StarHng perched serenely on the chimney 

 pot ! His vocabulary is larger than that of any bird, for 

 the reason that he borrows from all, but over and above 

 such idle talk there are the recognized starling call-notes 

 and signals, which alone serve a useful purpose in the 

 marshaUing and directing of the clans. 



Starlings can be taught to utter certain notes by those 

 who have time to teach them. Across the field opposite 



