The Starling. 97 



Sturnus vulgaris in Latin, the common, not '' vulgar" Star- 

 ling, VMourneau of the French, and der gemeine Staar of the 

 Germans, is a handsome bird, measuring about nine inches in 

 length, two and a half of which belong to the tail. The 

 ground colour of the plumage is black, with a purple shading 

 on the front, and a green tinge on the hinder parts of the 

 body; many of the feathers are tipped with white, which gives 

 to the bird a mottled appearance, that becomes less conspicuous 

 as it grows older. 



The female is rather smaller than the male, not so black, 

 less glossy, and has more white spots. 



The young are so thickly spotted that they seem to be 

 almost grey. There are two broods in the season, consisting 

 of from five to seven young ones each time: the eggs are of 

 a delicate greenish blue colour, sometimes dotted over with 

 small black spots, but more frequently quite plain. The young 

 are hatched in about fourteen days, and are said to be easily 

 reared on bread and milk. 



**In Yoightland", says Bechstein, ''the peasants use the Star- 

 ling like Domestic Pigeons, and eat the young, which they 

 take before they can fly; by this means they obtain three 

 broods in the season, but never touch the last, in order not 

 to discourage the parents, as well as not to diminish so pro- 

 fitable a branch of industry." 



When wild these birds feed on insects of all kinds, snails, 

 worms, and fruit, also grain and seeds when they cannot find 

 anything they like better: they are partly migratory, but 

 numbers of them remain with us all the year round: their 

 departure from our midst in spring being probably caused by 

 the scarcity of suitable nesting places. 



In confinement the Starling will eat, and thrive on, almost 

 everything that is brought to its master's table, and evinces, 

 says an old writer, a strong partiality for cheese: it drinks 

 a good deal, and is fond of bathing, consequently it should 

 not be left without free access to water. 



