STARLINGS. 



629 



voluinc: "Tlic rhounli is nnothor of those l)irds that are hccoiniiig rarer in our islands 

 from no ai>i)art'nt eaiise. The encroachment of man, as Mr. Gray justly remarks, can 

 scarcely he a reason for its disai)iicaranee ; for the bird's haunts are practically inac- 

 cessible, and are usually jilaces far removed from his industries. Formerly the chou'di 

 bred in many inland localities in England, but now it is only known to frequent a few 

 favored spots on the coast. Years ago the bird bred on almost all the suitable cliffs 

 of the south coast; but at the present day most of its breeding stations are deserted. 





/ 1' ' ' /- 



V 



( ' : 



\ 



:^ 





iCrt^"- 



.-.> 



t'lo. 2ti2. — HeUralocha aculiroslris, huia-bird. 



In Scotlan<l it appears to have lieen mucli comimmcr (piite recently than at the present 

 time, and to h.ive now completely deserted its inland haunts, beini;; only foimd on the 

 ocean cliffs. In Ireland its numbers have also decreased." 



Lcavinc; tlie question ojjcn for the jiresent whether the Old WorM starlinijs 

 (STCKXID.E) are best j.laced here, or wh.ther tliey liad better be removed nearer to 

 the American Ictcrid.-e, from which they eliiefly differ in liaviiii; ten primaries, we at 

 once i.rocecd to review the most interestin;? forms of this family, which is entirely 

 confined to the eastern hemisphere, but which in its distribution offers the pcculiaritv 



VOL. IV. — 34 



