PERCHING BIRDS. 137 
near the lighthouse on Flamborough Head, which had 
been killed, lamed, or stupefied by flying against the 
lantern of that brilliant light, seems to leave no doubt 
on the question, as they were evidently approaching our 
shores from the continent. 
The great abundance of old decaying oaks in the 
forest leaves the starlings little to desire in the choice 
of a resting-place, and with us other sites are but seldom 
selected ; but in 1853 I met with several pairs which 
had appropriated some deserted holes of the sand-martin 
at Robin Dam, near Rufford, a very unusual site. 
Pigeon cotes are also chosen, but in these cases the poor 
starlings become the victims of an ignorant prejudice, 
the common idea being that they suck the eggs of the 
pigeons. I fully believe them guiltless of such a habit, 
and that they are prompted to resort to such places only 
by a natural instinct to secure a comfortable domicile 
for their young. The stove-pipe, which I have men- 
tioned as generally occupied by the sparrow, was once 
selected by a starling for its nest, but its eggs shared 
the same fate of being half baked. 
No skill is exhibited by the starling in the construction 
of the nest, but it accumulates as great a mass of 
materials as the house sparrow, chiefly. dry grass and 
straw, and rudely lined with a few feathers. I never 
met with it otherwise than in a hole or cavity of some 
kind. 
Insects form the staple of the starling’s food, and I 
think are always preferred when attainable. I have occa- 
sionally seen the birds seize insects on the wing, although 
it is not a common habit, and the first time it came 
under my notice it struck me as very unusual. A pair 
had a nest in the hollow of an old oak in the forest, 
