194 THE STARLING. 



minute or two, when they take wing in companies, and fly 

 off to their feeding-grounds, generally visiting in the first 

 place the grass parks, where sheep have been lying over 

 night." 



Mr. Loney has likewise informed me that, in the 

 summer of 1887, numbers of Starlings continued to frequent 

 their usual roosting-places at Marchmont during the nesting 

 season, and as they did not appear to be breeding, several 

 specimens were shot for dissection, which all proved to be 

 males. Colonel Brown of Longformacus tells me that, in 

 the winter of 1886-87, the dovecot, which stands near the 

 mansion-house there, was taken possession of by these birds, 

 which drove out the pigeons, and occupied the dovecot all 

 the winter, many hundreds roosting in it at night. Star- 

 lings had not previously been known to stay over the winter 

 at Longformacus. 



Although this species remains in the county through- 

 out the year, it is a local migrant ; for, v/hen severe weather 

 sets in, with hard frost and snow, it leaves the more 

 inland parts, and frequents the neighbourhood of the sea- 

 coast. It may sometimes be seen in such weather, about 

 farm-yards, picking up waste corn and seeds about the 

 stacks and barn doors.-^ At all seasons the ground upon 

 which sheep are feeding seems to be a favourite resort, 

 and it may be often seen perched on their backs 

 searching for the insects which infest their wool. It 

 is, undoubtedly, one of our most useful birds, and the 

 quantity of injurious insects and grubs which it destroys 

 is immense. 



The Starling is seen in great flocks on migration at 



1 On 31st December 1874, during the severe weather which then prevailed, I 

 saw several Starlings feeding about the corn-barn door at Nabdean. Mr. Hardy 

 mentions {Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. ix. p. 125), that in the protracted snow- 

 storm of 1878-79, vast numbers of Starlings frequented the stackyards at Bow- 

 shiel and Oldcambus. 



