164 STARLING. 



dark purple, constantly changing in ap- 

 pearance as the bird moves its position. 

 The whole body is likewise beautifully 

 dropped, or mottled with triangular star- 

 like spots, which are white on the breast 

 of the bird and cream-coloured on the 

 back. The bill is a bright yellow, the 

 eyes hazel, and the legs either yellow or 

 brown. 



In a wild state the Starling is very 

 lively, whistling and chattering constantly, 

 and then somewhat resembles in habits 

 and manners our Red-winged Blackbird, 

 (Icterus prasdatorius.) There he associates 

 not only with his own kind, but with many 

 other varieties of birds. Changing as it 

 were his character in their society, he drops 

 his own peculiar note and with a ready 

 association to circumstances, whistles with 

 the Plover, chatters with the Jack-daw, 

 caws with the Crow and screams with the 

 Sea- fowl. 



In the cage, his character is the same, 

 with an equally great fondness for imita- 



