214 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. 



stones. In an account of this bird, as observed at Smyrna, which 

 appeared in the "Zoologist," the Marquis Oratio Antinori says, "We 

 found the nests in thousands, some quite open and uncovered, others 

 concealed amongst the blocks of stones. They were often so close 

 together as to touch one another, and were made with little care: the 

 birds content themselves with a slight hollow in the ground, in which 

 are placed some dead stalks of plants, and, in a few instances, a lining 

 of grass. I observed many in which the eggs lay on the bare earth. 

 The number of eggs may amount to four or five, some are fleshy 

 white, others pearl-white with a tinge of blue; some have a few small 

 dark specks at the thick end; the shell is very beautiful, strong, and 

 shining." The same observer states that the female, while she sits on 

 the nest, is fed by her partner upon grasshoppers, and that similar 

 food is given to the young. 



The male, which is nearly nine inches in length, has the beak of a 

 yellowish rose-colour, and the head, crest, throat, wings, and tail, 

 glossy black. The remainder of the body is of a delicate rose-colour. 

 The female resembles the male, but her colour is much duller. 



THE STARLING, 



(S/ernus vulgaris.} 



PLATE XIV. FIGURE II. 



THE Starling, with his beautiful metallic tints of blue, purple, and 

 green, and the regularly disposed pale brown or white tips to the 

 feathers over the greater part of his compact and shapely body, is 

 really a handsome bird, although we are apt to pass him by almost 

 unnoticed, for the simple, but by no means good reason, that he is 

 "so common." There are indeed few parts of the British Isles in 

 which he may not constantly be met with. Nearly all over the 

 European Continent, too, he is equally abundant. In Asia he inhabits 

 India, China, and Japan; and in Africa is found even as far south as 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



During the greater part of the year Starlings live in large flocks, 

 which scour the country in search of food, returning every night to 



