214 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
There are many notes in the ‘ Zoologist,’ all of 
which tend to prove the usefulness of the Starling, 
amongst which I may specially quote one by Mr. 
Cordeaux: he says that during a very dry summer 
Starlings collected in a field of vetches, and an old 
labourer remarked to him, “Them Starns are 
b 
getting no end of them tares:” suspecting the same 
himself he shot two for examination, and on opening 
them found the stomach crammed with insects: 
there were several earwigs and some small bronze- 
winged beetles; the rest was a mass of a large green 
Aphis: he continues, “‘ On examining the vetches, I 
found the stems literally crowded with this green 
nuisance, and these, with an occasional beetle, &c., 
appeared to be the entire food of the Starlings.” 
The Starling is also very fond of feeding on ticks 
and other parasitical insects which are to be found 
in sheep’s wool, and may often be seen enjoying a 
quiet ride on a sheep’s back and at the same time 
getting a very good dinner. 
The Starling has a very curious habit of soaring 
and wheeling about high in the air, so high as at 
times to be nearly out of sight, much after the 
manner of the Swift: this habit I have often noticed, 
but only on a fine clear day, and generally on such 
a day between two stormy ones, or else, but not so 
often, just before or after very bad weather: this 
habit has been noticed by many writers in the 
‘Zoologist;’ but they all seem to be of opinion 
