SPOTTED STARLING. 599 



the female. Old males generally have the head and fore-neck 

 quite destitute of white spots. The variations in adult indivi- 

 duals are not otherwise remarkable. The species is occasion- 

 ally subject to albinism ; but I have not seen any British spe- 

 cimens either white or patched with that colour. 



The dimensions given above are those of individuals shot in 

 the south of Scotland. I subjoin those of five specimens shot 

 by me in the Outer Hebrides in 1820, and described in my 

 note-book. 



Extent of wings 15i Tail 2/o 

 15i 

 ]5i 

 15i 

 151 



Habits. — Having with much labour and some danger de- 

 scended from the summit of a maritime cliff on the west coast 

 of one of the bare Hebrides, w^e are now standing in a low and 

 ragged cavern, of which the upper part is formed of great 

 blocks of gneiss jammed into a rent of the solid rock, while the 

 heavy weaves of the Atlantic come rushing up its mouth, and 

 alternately recede, leaving exposed at intervals a beautiful bed 

 of polished pebbles. The melancholy tones of the Rock Dove's 

 cooing issue from one of the recesses ; and as we look for the 

 bird, w^e observe a Starling perched on a projecting angle above, 

 and screaming forth its low harsh note of alarm or anger. Pre- 

 sently several individuals of the same species issue from vari- 

 ous holes and fissures, and fly out of the cavern, followed by a 

 few pigeons, the sound of whose wings echoes from the walls. 

 A shot is fired, and in the midst of the deafening noise that 

 follows, a whole crowd of Starlings hurry over head to regain 

 the open air, and escape the threatened danger. We have in 

 fact strolled into one of their breeding places, and it being the 

 month of June, we may here at leisure observe their domestic 

 habits ; but the tide is advancing, and therefore it may be best 

 to regain the summit of the rock, purposing to return some 

 other time. 



