The Crow Tribe. 43 



bread, cheese, and anything that is not salt or sour ; 

 but it prefers raw beef to any other food. Old birds 

 are often very violent when caught, and will even 

 starve themselves to death ; but young birds are easily 

 brought up from the nest, kept in a basket lined with 

 hay, and fed every two hours with the crumb of white 

 bread soaked in milk. They will soon learn to pipe 

 tunes if their lessons are repeated to them early in the 

 morning ; but they must not be kept within hearing of 

 other birds. They can be taught to articulate words, 

 and even sentences, by repeating them over and over 

 again, without adopting the cruel method of slitting 

 their tongues ; and they are very clever and engaging 

 pets, capable of learning a number of amusing accom- 

 plishments, and of becoming greatly attached to their 

 owners. 



Many amusing stories are recorded of Starlings. I 

 have read of one, which was brought up in a house 

 and lived chiefly in the kitchen, who always watched 

 the butcher's daily visit with great interest, and went 

 to the street door perched on the shoulder of the cook. 

 If the meat delivered were beef, he would come back 

 screaming with delight ; but if it happened to be pork, 

 he would be in a great rage, crying out," Too fat ! too 

 fat ! " This was a favourite phrase of his, and was 

 used on all occasions as a word of dislike. Being 

 jealous of a baby in the house, he screamed out, "Too 

 fat ! too fat ! " whenever he saw it in the nurse's arms. 



