110 THE STARLINGS 



THE STARLING 

 [F. B. KIRKMAN] 



Seen at a little distance, a starling appears to be a plain-hued, un- 

 attractive, somewhat absurd-looking bird. Seen nearer, it becomes 

 almost handsome. But let the sun's rays fall upon its plumage at a 

 certain angle and they set it afire with an iridescent splendour of 

 greens and purples that would shame Solomon in all his glory. This 

 living gem, glowing and gleaming in the fresh green foliage of some 

 high bough, is one of the unforgettable sights that Nature vouchsafes 

 to those who see the rarer beauties in her works. 



The fact that individual starlings vary greatly in their coloration : 

 that some have more green about the head, others more purple, has 

 led to the conclusion, now generally popular, that there are in our Isles 

 two forms, the British or green-headed form and the Continental or 

 purple-headed form, the latter having green ear-coverts. Some 

 writers, carried away by their patriotic feelings, have credited the 

 alien or purple-headed form with most of the misdeeds that have 

 from time to time, rightly or wrongly, been ascribed to the starling, 

 and, in order to show up the alien character of the misdoer more 

 clearly have even at times confused him with the Siberian form. 

 But as the Siberian bird, Sturnus vulgans poltaratskyi, to give him his 

 full official title, has purple ear-coverts, and is not recorded to have 

 entered Europe, it may safely be taken for granted that he has never 

 done any damage to English cherries. Nor is there satisfactory 

 evidence that a purple-headed race exists in Europe, intermediate 

 between our green-headed form and the Siberian, for examination of 

 a large number of specimens from various parts of North and East 

 Europe and Great Britain shows that there is in these districts 

 every variation from purple-headed to green-headed existing side by 

 side. 1 



1 B. Hartert, Vogel der Paliiarktischen Fauna, i. p. 42. 



