THE STARLING 55 



their shambling gait, and industrious boring on the lawn for larvae 

 — ^in cherry orchards they are regarded with terror, on account of 

 the amount of mischief they will accomplish in a short space of 

 time ; and in the sheep-fold they are doubtless most cordially 

 welcomed and their services thankfully received, as they rid the 

 poor tormented animals of many an evil ' tick '. 



The Starling is a handsome bird ; seen at a distance it appears 

 to be of a uniform black hue, but on closer inspection its sable coat 

 is found to be lustrous with reflections of purple and green, and every 

 feather is tipped with white, or cream-colour — a mantle of shot- 

 silk garnished with pearls. 



Except during the nesting season, a Starling is rarely seen alone ; 

 most commonly perhaps they are observed in parties of from six to 

 twelve, hunting in orchards or meadows for whichsoever article of 

 their diet happens to be in season. Wherever a colony of Rooks, 

 Jackdaws, or Rock Pigeons has established itself, there most pro- 

 bably, or somewhere in the neighbourhood, a large party will 

 assemble to roost, and will attend the others on all their foraging 

 expeditions. In spring the flocks, small and great, break up into 

 pairs, each withdrawing to a convenient nesting place, which is 

 sometimes a hole in a tree, sometimes a building, a cliff, or a cave. 

 The nest itself is a simple structure, being composed of dry grass 

 and roots, and contains generally five eggs. At this season the male 

 bird adds to the chirping and twittering notes of both sexes a soft, 

 and not unmusical note, which resembles more closely than any 

 other sound with which I am acquainted the piping of a boatswain's 

 whistle, and it is not uncommon to hear a party of choristers 

 thus engaged, perched meanwhile on some high tree, even while 

 incubation is going on. Starlings, also, mimic the notes of 

 other singers. The breeding season over, they become nomad in 

 their habits. Many families unite into a flock, and explore the 

 country far and wide for suitable feeding places, their diet being, 

 up to this time, exclusively worms and insects. But no sooner does 

 the fruit begin to ripen in the cherry districts, than the flocks, now 

 assembled in countless multitudes, descend on the trees, and, if not 

 observed and scared away, appropriate the whole crop. 



Newly-fledged Starlings are so different from their parents, that 

 they might be mistaken for a different species. The plumage is of a 

 uniform greyish brown, lighter beneath. It is not till the end of 

 July or the beginning of August that the adult plumage begins to 

 show itself, and then the young birds present a singular appear- 

 ance, as the glossy black feathers, tipped with pearl, appear in 

 irregular patches on various parts of the body. Starlings do not 

 usually roost near the scene of their depredations, but from this 

 season and thence until late in autumn they repair, as if by some 

 preconcerted scheme, to a rendezvous common to many detach- 

 ments. \ writer in the Zoologist states that there were formerl}^ 



