I40 The Starling 



Wales it was somewhat rare at that season, now it is ever3'where abuudaut iu 

 North Wales. In Scotland, where it nsed to be b}' no means abundant, excepting 

 in some of the islands, it is now very commou in uearh' every count}'. 



The adult male in Ijreeding-plumage is glossy black, brightly shot with metallic 

 green, rosy-violet, and Prussian blue, the rosy and purplish tints being usually 

 most prevalent on the head, nape, mantle, and breast; the bluer feathers varying 

 iu certain lights to Prussian green : the feathers of the upper surface, e.xceptiug 

 the head and fore-neck, tipped with dead gold, or sandy buff; flights and tail- 

 feathers dark smoky-brown, bordered with black, and edged with sandy-buff; thighs 

 and under tail-coverts blackish, the latter with broad buff margins : bill lemon- 

 yellow ; feet reddish-brown ; iris hazel. The female is less metallic than the male 

 and has larger buff tips to the feathers, the under surface of the body being more 

 or less spotted throughout the year ; the bill is also blackish towards the tip. 



After the autumn moult all the feathers of the upper parts are broadly tipped 

 with sandj'-buff; the wing- feathers are gre3-er; and the sides of the face and under 

 surface are more or less conspicuousl}' spotted with white : * the bill also becomes 

 partly, or altogether, dark brown. The young are greyish-brown, the quill and 

 tail-feathers margined with pale brown, and the feathers of the imder parts with 

 whitish margins. 



There is considerable difference iu the metallic colouring of individual Starlings: 

 the example which I have noted below, as being heavily white-spotted in winter, 

 used to develop the most brilliant violet on neck and breast in the breeding-season ; 

 the blue and green tints were also very bright ; whilst the buff markings above 

 had a well-defined golden gloss: indeed, the whole bird appeared as if formed out 

 of burnished metal. 



Wherever the House-Sparrow is, one ma}' be pretty certain to meet with the 

 Starling either iu town or country : it is a bird which is always conspicuous, 

 whether on the wing or on the ground : in spring one sees a dozen or more 

 flying round a Rook, regularly mobbing him as he carries home some grub to his 

 callow young, until in his fright he drops the dainty morsel and down go the 

 Starlings with much noise to quarrel over it ; later the tables are turned, the 

 Starling as it carries food to its young being similarly tormented by Sparrows. 

 Now one sees the male bird sitting high up on some naked branch, on a chimney- 

 pot, or the corner of a gable, discoursing what he evidentl}- considers sweet music. 



Marvellous is the song of a Starling ! a curious combination of whistling, 

 squeaking, gargling, and the sucking hiss made by pulling out the handle of a 



* A bird which I had a lew years a<;o used to have tliese while sjiots ou Ihe under parts so lari^e that 

 many of them ran together into patches giving it the appearance of having faced a snow-storm. 



