114 Craigmillm' mid its Environs. 



equally at home in town or country. Though gener- 

 ally regarded as insectivorous, we have found their 

 gizzard to contain both fruit and grain. Starlings may 

 be seen feeding on the currant-bushes in the market- 

 gardens around Craigmillar. They also seem to be 

 passionately fond of "rowans," which they devour 

 with great gusto. An animated discussion recently 

 took place in one of our leading journals as to 

 whether starlings were responsible for the partial 

 disappearance of larks, by devouring their eggs. 

 The arguments advanced in support of the conten- 

 tion that they were thus responsible appeared so con- 

 vincing, that we resolved to try an experiment. In 

 an old grass meadow numbers of broods of starlings 

 fed daily, turning up the half dried cow-manure and 

 devouring the insects exposed to view. With the aid 

 of some boys, we collected several dozens of small 

 birds' eggs of different kinds. Making a number of 

 artificial nests among the grass where the cow- 

 droppings appeared most plentiful, we deposited 

 therein three, four, and in some cases five eggs, and 

 from a distance watched the result. Mother starlings 



