92 RED-WINGED STARLING. 



London; and on being opened, its stomach was found to be filled 

 with grub worms, caterpillars and beetles; which Buffon seems 

 to wonder at, as " in their own country," he observes, " they 

 feed exclusively on grain and maize." 



Hitherto this species has been generally classed by naturalists 

 with the Orioles. By a careful comparison, however, of its bill 

 with those of that tribe, the similarity is by no means sufficient 

 to justify this arrangement; and its manners are altogether dif- 

 ferent. I can find no genus to which it makes so near an ap- 

 proach, both in the structure of the bill and in food, flight and 

 manners as those of the Stare, with which, following my judi- 

 cious friend Mr. Bartram, I have accordingly placed it. To the 

 European the perusal of the foregoing pages will be sufficient 

 to satisfy him of their similarity of manners. For the satisfac- 

 tion of those who are unacquinted with the common Starling of 

 Europe, I shall select a few sketches of its character, from the 

 latest and most accurate publication I have seen from that quar- 

 ter.* Speaking of the Stare or Starling, this writer observes 

 " In the winter season these birds fly in vast flocks, and may 

 be known at a great distance by their whirling mode of flight, 

 which Buffon compares to a sort of vortex, in which the collec- 

 tive body performs a uniform circular revolution, and at the 

 same time continues to make a progressive advance. The evening 

 is the time when the Stares assemble in the greatest numbers, 

 and betake themselves to the fens and marshes, where they roost 

 among the reeds: they chatter much in the evening and morn- 

 ing, both when they assemble and disperse. So attached are 

 they to society that they not only join those of their own species, 

 but also birds of a different kind; and are frequently seen in 

 company with Red-wings, [a species of Thrush,] Fieldfares $ 

 and even with Crows, Jackdaws and Pigeons. Their principal 

 food consists of worms, snails and caterpillars; they likewise 

 eat various kinds of grain, seeds and berries." He adds, that 

 f in a confined state they are very docile, and may easily be 



* Bewick's British Birds, part i, p. 119, Newcastle, 1809. 



