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party, profits by this arrangement. Rooks are keen enough in finding their own food, and 
it is more probable that the Starling profits by their companions’ large beaks and greater 
powers of breaking the ground. We can imagine, too, an active Starling (no bird is more 
active on its feet) cutting in and picking up some morsel unearthed by the stronger and 
more powerful, yet slower, Rook. Perhaps the Starling profits by the vigilant outlook kept 
by the sentinel Rooks. In the case of an alarm to the mixed host, it is amusing to see how 
quickly the Starlings are up; the partnership is dissolved in a moment, and with manceuvres, 
executed with greater quickness and precision than any troops can attain to, their ranks close 
up, and a compact phalanx wheels out, leaving the disorderly ranks of its confused allies to 
get under weigh as best they can. I must not write here of the Starling’s manner of feeding, 
its beautiful aerial manceuvres, its wonderful wheeling and turning, to be witnessed on a 
winter’s evening at one of its great roosting-places, and of the vast numbers which collect at 
such roosting-places. Its covering of feathers fits closely to its body, the feathers them- 
selves being glossy and rather hard, so that the plumage is not easily draggled, and is very 
weather proof. 
Finally, the Starling has a wandering and migratory habit, and when other birds are 
starving in hard weather the Starling departs for some more genial and hospitable locality. 
It is true that some, even a good many, perish in severe winters, but I have always noticed 
that the great flocks, which we generally have in my own neighbourhood in mild winters, 
disappear in hard weather, to reappear almost immediately a thaw sets in. The Starling 
often visits low-lying sea shores in winter, where between high and low water mark food is 
always to be obtained. 
It is not then surprising to find that the Starling is steadily increasing in numbers, and 
that during the last half century or so it has increased its range in Great Britain. 
This great increase in the Starlings’ numbers is being watched by ornithologists with 
interest; for it has given rise to two great questions anent the future history of this 
bird and others. The first is, what effect will the increased Starlings have on the increase of 
some other birds? When Starlings take up their summer quarters in a wood, or in some 
locality where trees are abundant but buildings scarce, there is a run on any convenient hole 
ina tree. A Starling will build in almost any hole, if it is not too large, but some birds, 
e.g., Woodpeckers and the Nuthatch, are more particular. The Starling is not content to take 
only the deserted or vacant holes, to which it would be welcome, but when a Woodpecker has 
chipped out a new hole or enlarged an old one, or when a nuthatch has carefully plastered 
up the gaping mouth of some hole so as to adapt it as a residence for itself, these industrious 
and not too common birds are only too likely to be ousted by a pair of noisy Starlings. 
The fight for a hole lasts often all day long, and the Starling wins, as other greater fights 
have been won, by wearing out its adversaries. Time after time the rightful owners dash at 
the intruders, who, not being furnished with a very business-like fighting beak, beat a hasty 
retreat, only to return almost immediately and continue their annoying harsh cries and 
demonstrations. Indeed, the Starlings’ business is not to fight, but to tire the owners out 
and cause them to give up the hole in disgust. The Starlings bring bits of building 
materials with them, and, presently, when both of the exasperated owners have dashed after 
