3 86 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



which a pair of Starlings breed every year. During 

 one season three clutches of six, six, and five eggs 

 respectively were taken out of this nest, on account 

 of the owner of the orchard having seen the parent 

 birds feeding from the fruit of a strawberry-bed 

 close by. I have known Starlings on several occa- 

 sions adapt the nests of House Sparrows when they 

 have been built in thick Scotch fir trees, and 

 once whilst staying at an hotel in Kinross I 

 watched a pair of birds of this species feeding a 

 brood of young ones in a nest which was situated in 

 a thick evergreen where one might have expected 

 the home of a Song Thrush or a Blackbird. 

 Indeed I am not sure that the chicks were 

 not occupying an old nest built by one of the 

 above-mentioned birds. 



Materials. Straw, hay, and fibrous roots, lined 

 with feathers, wool, moss, or whatever may be 

 easily obtainable. Nests made with nothing what- 

 ever but straw are often met with. 



Eggs. Four to six, of a uniform pale blue. I 

 have seen clutches once or twice that were as near 

 white as possible. Size about 1.18 by .84 in. 

 (See Plate I.) 



Time. April, May, and June, although eggs 

 have been seen in January and later than June. 



Remarks. Resident, but subject to southern 

 movement in winter. Notes : alarm, spate, spate ; 

 song, a mixture of all kinds of sounds, the bird being 

 a very clever imitator. Local and other names : 

 Sheep Starling, Stare, Sheep Stare, Brown Star- 

 ling, Starnel, Sheep's Starnel. A close sitter. 



We have so many birds of this species in our 

 country nowadays, in consequence of a long succes- 

 sion of mild, open winters, that I am of opinion that 



