234 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



keepers teach it to show how it kills the snakes 

 by throwing it a dead rat tied to a string ; it 

 is astonishing to see how quickly it strikes with 

 its foot on the prey, but anything that lives on 

 poisonous snakes has to be quick, or it will not 

 live to have many fights with them. 



The last bird I shall say anything about is 

 one which has never figured as one of the 

 world's famous birds ; it is nothing more or 

 less than our common starling, about which 

 there are no legends or stories so far as I know, 

 though it has been known at least since the 

 time of Homer, who speaks of starlings flying 

 in a cloud. No doubt it is because starlings 

 go so much in flocks that they have not 

 become notable birds, for birds with reputa- 

 tions do not go in crowds ; but still the starling 

 is one of the most wonderful birds in the 

 world. He lives anywhere, on the wild cliffs 

 among the sea-birds, or in the middle of our 

 big towns ; he can do almost anything fly 

 well, run fast, and hop about quickly in trees ; 

 he can eat anything, though he likes insects 

 best, and he can imitate almost any bird's 

 note, and does so, not only when he is tamed, 

 but in his wild state, just for the fun of the 



