110 THE OREGON' NATURALIST. 



The starling, in respect of docility of the breast are a beautiful pale 

 and sagacity, deserves to be com- gray, the belly white, the pen and 

 pared with the dog. It is always tail feathers dark brown edged with 

 lively, understands and obeys every ^^'^^ green, and the first wing coverts 

 1 ^. r ^^ ^1 ^ are tipped with a triangularr vellow 



gesture and motion oi those that / ^, ^ , u- i • " i . 



'^ spot. In the temale, which IS somewhat 



come near him, and though totter- ^.^aller, the orange on the forehead i^ 

 ing about with a sober .step and not so broad, the color of the breast is 

 stupid appearance, allows nothing paler, and the feet are a yellowish 



to escape its notice. It learns to b'*^^"- ^''"^ >'*^"o^^' ^^P^^'^ »" ^'^^ «^'"- 



1 1 • .1 ■ 1 ^ coverts are also generatly wanting. 



repeat words, whistles airs, and to ~, , ■ ,, , , ■ ^ 



^ Ihe robin reiibreast. feeds on insects 



imitate the voices of men and ani- ,,f various kinds, leaf-lice, earth worms", 



mals, and the .song of birds. The larvae and all sorts of l)erries. It builds 



starling sings throughout the year, its nest which is made of li.-hens loosely 



with the exception of the moulting P"t together, and lined with grass stalks, 



J ^1 . . .. hair and feathers on the ground, among 



season, and their .song is peculiar , , i j * 



° ^ moss, stones, roots, or •■•pon leaved tree 



and narp-like. stumps, in thick brush, or in currant 



and gooseberry bushes, in hedges and 



THt^ ROBIN REDBREVST, .S'v/ym rti- sometimes in holes under the rojfs of 



birula. houses. 



[Das Ridhkehlchen.) The female lays twice a year, from 5 



Of these lovely and useful song to 6 yellowish white eggs, spotted and 



birds but 5 pairs were introduced striped with orange, and haying a ring 



into Oregon by the Society in 1889 ^^ 'i^^'^ ^''^^'^ «^ ^^e thick end. It is a 



J „ ATM bird of passage and goes south during 



and 1892. There were many more ^, \.v. c r^ ^\ i 4. 



^ -^ the month of October, and returns 



of them when they first arrived, but about the middle of March. Occasion- 

 unfortunately they died. ally, a number of these bird.- will re- 

 This handsome bird is a native "'ain here throughout the winter. But 

 )f the old world, is 5 3-4 inches in ^^en the cold grows more severe, and 

 ^. c 1 • 1 ^1 ^ -1 snow covers the ground, or trost hardens 

 ength, 01 which the tail measures .^ . , . , 



/^ . . . its surface, it approaches tiie houses, 



>X "iches. The beak is 5 lines taps at the closed casement casting side- 



ong, and brown except at the root long glances in-doors, as if envious of the 



3f the lower mandible and in the in- warm abode. It is attracted to the hab- 



side where it is vellow itations of man by the shelter that it 



^' . . ,, ■, r there obtains from the rigor of the 



Ihe irib, as well as the leet, ,, , . , .• ,, • ^.^ 



weather, and in search of the insects 



which are eleven lines high, are t^at are collected in great numbers by 



blackish brown. The forehead, the same cause. 



cheeks, and lower part of the body, ^^^ ^^^^^ '^ "«^««^ ^"^ ^^'^' supported 



. ,, . .. which though loudest in spring lasts 



and the wmg-coverts, are dingy , . .. . ^ .u ^ k „ „ 



'^ ' °-' almost throughout the vear, and has a 



olive-green; the rump, sides and solemn and melancholy 'eflfect. During 

 vent, of a lighter hue. The sides spring the robin redbreast haunts the 



