220 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Hugh Reid of Doncaster, in 1837 J an ^ a specimen with 

 crossed mandibles was obtained about 1888 in the vicinity 

 of Harrogate. 



As to vernacular names, the word Starling is itself a 

 diminutive of Stare, as used by Willughby in his " Ornithology," 

 1678, and is sometimes transmuted into Starnil, as in the 

 Flamborough district. From its connection with sheep it 

 derives the name Shepster,* Shepstey, Sheep-stare, which 

 are in general use, dialectically modified to Shipster in 

 Cleveland and at Sedbergh, Shepstare in Craven, and Chepster 

 in the North Riding, as spelt by Tunstall, who also used the 

 form Chep-starling. These are the same terms as the Ship 

 or Ship-starling of the North Riding, the Shep-starling of 

 Craven and the West Riding, and the Sheep-starling of the 

 Nidd valley. Sheppy, used at Ackworth, and Shep, in 

 the West and North Ridings, are possibly contracted forms 

 of the same appellation. A Cleveland term is Gyp, which 

 becomes Gypey or Gipey at Eavestone, near Ripon, and 

 about York ; Gyp-starling at York, and Gyp-starnil or Gyp- 

 starn'l in the North Riding. Near Beverley it is sometimes 

 called Jacob. 



Mr. James Backhouse of York mentions in the Naturalist 

 (1886, p. 307), the occurrence of a black Starling, which he 

 considered to be 5. unicolor, the Sardinian Starling. It is 

 in a collection belonging to the York Blue Coat Boys' School, 

 and, according to the label on the case, was procured at Howden 

 in 1840, and preserved by G. Wright of Fossgate, York. 



A suggested explanation by Mr. J. H. Gurney (torn. cit. 

 p. 340), is that the bird in question may be a melanic variety 

 of the common Starling, but Mr. Backhouse assured me 

 that Mr. H. E. Dresser has pronounced it to be the Sardinian 

 species. 



* " Shepster." An old clergyman who had never heard this name 

 applied to birds, being in the vestry of the church, the clerk, who had 

 noted the return of the Starlings to nesting operations, said to the 

 Vicar, " Please, sir, the Shepsters have come." The old clergyman 

 answered sharply, " Shew them into a pew ; shew them into a pew." 

 (Nat. 1896, p. 254.) 



