STARLINGS' COUNCIL Of WAR 119 



his wings and tail, skims between the nose and 

 front legs of the cow and picks up the doomed 

 bird in its talons. The whole scene occupies but 

 a few seconds, and the cow continues her grazing 

 as if nothing very tragical had happened. 



With loud screams the struggling Starling is 

 carried away to a small copse ; the other Starlings, 

 about fifty in all, rise in a body, and with wild 

 cries fly swiftly to the help of their captured 

 comrade ; but the Kestrel, having the start, is first 

 among the trees, whither the Starlings will not 

 follow ; but they will fly round in circles scream- 

 ing wildly. Louder than their cries, however, is 

 that of the captured bird ; and unless I had 

 actually seen it caught and heard it, I could not 

 have believed that such cries could proceed from 

 a Starling, for it sounded very much like a child 

 in pain. But the cries get weaker until they are 

 heard no more, as the Hawk quickly disposes of 

 its prey. Meanwhile the Starlings are sitting on 

 a tree holding a council of war, and waiting for 

 the enemy to come out ; for they dare not enter 

 among the bushes where they would be at a dis- 

 advantage. If noise could have saved their mate 

 it would have been rescued without doubt, as 

 every single Starling used its voice to its fullest 

 power. 



