INSESSORES. 331 



male, and her colors are less lustrous. The Emerald, in its 

 motions is lively and agile, and, in general, it perches only upon 

 the tops of the most lofty trees. These birds are killed by the 

 natives with blunt arrows, and sold to the Europeans ; this forms 

 a gainful traffic ; and hence, the Chinese, it is said, fabricate 

 imitations of these " celestial fowls," of the feathers of Parrots 

 and Paroquets, which they sell at high prices to strangers. 



SECOND FAMILY. THE STARLINGS. 

 Sturnida. (Lat. Slurnus, a starling, or stare.) 

 THE STARLINGS are a numerous and widely distributed fam- 



ily ; larger, for the most part, than the average of the 

 birds ; but of less size than the Crows, which, in structure and 

 manners, they much resemble. The beak in these birds, is of a 

 form well adapted for penetrating the earth in search of the 

 worms and underground larvae upon which they feed. 



The plumage is commonly of dark colors, but has a peculiar 

 richness; black, glossed with lustrous hues of steei blue, purple, 

 or green, of the prevailing color, but occasionally it is relieved 

 by broad masses of crimson or yellow, (and, in a lew instances, 

 of white,) as in the Icterus, or Baltimore Oriole. 



The Starlings live in societies, sometimes immensely numer- 

 ous, and seem universally to prefer the locality of plains fre- 

 quented by cattle ; in this particular, resembling the Maize 

 Birds. 



THE COMMON STARLING, (S. vuJgaris,) it has been observed, 

 becomes wonderfully familiar in the house ; is very docile ; 

 always gay and wakeful ; soon knows all the inhabilants of the 

 house, remarks their motions and air, and adapts himself .o 

 their humors ; he repeats correctly the airs which he is taught, 

 imitates the cries of men and animals, and the songs of all the 

 birds in the same room with himself; but his acquirements are 

 of little value, for he forgets as fast as he learns The Starling 

 lays, twice in a year, from four to six eggs of a delicate pale 

 blue, or of an ashy green color. It is about the size of the 

 Blackbird. 



THE MEADOW STARLING, or Meadow Lark, (Sturnella ludo- 

 viciana,) is a beautiful bird, found abundantly throughout the 

 United States, and as far North as the Fur countries, wintering 

 in the Carolinas, or Florida. It builds its nest at the foot of 

 some tall, strong grass. This bird, though useful in destroying 



