154 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



their friends already on the roof ; for if ever birds 

 talk together starlings do. Many birds utter the 

 same notes over and over again ; others sit on a 

 branch and sing the same song, as the thrush ; but 

 the starling has a whole syllabary of his own, every 

 note of which evidently has its meaning, and can be 

 varied and accented at pleasure. 



His whistle ranges from a shrill, piercing treble 

 to a low, hollow bass ; he runs a complete gamut, 

 with " shakes," trills, tremulous vibrations, every 

 possible variation. He intersperses a peculiar cluck- 

 ing sound, which seems to come from the depths of 

 his breast, fluttering his wings all the while against 

 his sides as he stands bolt upright on the edge of the 

 chimney. Other birds seem to sing for the pure 

 pleasure of singing, shedding their notes broadcast, 

 or at most they are meant for a mate hidden in the 

 bush. The starling addresses himself direct to his 

 fellows ; I think I may say he never sings when alone, 

 without a companion in sight. He literally speaks 

 to his fellows. I am persuaded you may almost 

 follow the dialogue and guess the tenor of the 

 discourse. 



A starling is on the chimney-top ; yonder on the 

 ash tree are four or five of his acquaintance. Sud- 

 denly he begins to pour forth a flood of eloquence 

 facing them as he speaks : Will they come with him 

 down to the field where the cows are grazing ? There 

 will be sure to be plenty of insects settling on the grass 

 round the cows, and every now and then they tear 



