STARLING. 93 
numbers on the Longdendale moors, where it has many 
times been recognised feeding with other Finches in the 
farmyards. The bird has been met with on Werneth 
Low, near Hyde, in hard winters. In the same season 
that Robinson observed the flock at Frodsham, an old 
gamekeeper, John Rowbottom, noticed several flocks 
frequenting the Low, one of which numbered more than 
a hundred birds. He secured no less than thirty-five, 
several of which he ate, finding them very palatable. 
Mr. B. R. S. Pemberton tells us that he met with a flock 
in the cold February of 1895, on the moors near Taxal. 
When the rocky hilltops are dotted with patches of 
snow, the plumage of the Snow Bunting, so conspicuous 
in flight, is very protective immediately the bird alights. 
Coward—who has frequently observed these birds in 
company with Twites on the Cumberland Fells—has 
noticed that when the flocks alight, the Twites are 
fairly conspicuous, but the Buntings seem to disappear 
at once. This is no doubt partly accounted for by the 
fact that the Buntings endeavour to take advantage 
of the inequalities of the ground; but even at a short 
distance it is difficult to distinguish them from the 
small flecks and patches of snow amongst the rocks. 
FAMILY STURNIDZ:. 
STARLING. 
STURNUS VULGARIS, Linnzus. 
Shepster, Stare. 
Few birds exhibit greater powers of adaptation to a 
varied environment than the Starling, which is equally 
at home in thickly populated districts, in the most 
secluded woodlands, and in the cliffs of the coast. In 
