FROZEN-OUT STARLINGS 3 



the frozen ground, and they are starving. Not a 

 blade of grass, not a green leaf of any description 

 that happens to be uncovered do they leave behind 

 them. It is a bad time for young- plants of the 

 cabbage kind if they raise their heads at all above 

 the snow. Some of the larks probably cross the 

 Channel, or go west ; but they are very weak, and 

 a large number fall a prey to hunger or the gun. 



It is the same with the flocks of starlings ; 

 they only make their appearance when quite 

 starved out. A piteous sight it is to see them 

 hammering desperately upon the iron earth all 

 the more piteous because one cannot help them at 

 all. If food is placed before them they pay no 

 attention to it, but go on pecking the earth ; or 

 perhaps they try to fly a little further not far 

 though, they have not the strength. One snowy 

 winter, a few years ago, hundreds of them were 

 lying about dead in the fields, while others fell down 

 the chimneys into our rooms. Yet the starling 

 is a clever bird a clever imitator, at all events. 



There are some fine trees along the reach of 

 the river, just above the weir opposite to the 

 house ; for the meadow on this side was once part 

 of the garden of Salcombe House, and is still 

 called ' The Lawn.' These trees are often full of 

 small birds : golden-crested wrens, and sometimes 

 goldfinches. More frequently there are tits of all 



B 2 



