228 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Feb. 1, 1832. 



FromNultall's Manual of Oi 



AMERICAN 



lilholojy of the U 



MEADOW 



STARLING, 

 LARK. 



(Sturnus ludovicianus, L. Alauda magna, Wilson, 3, 



p. 20. pi. 19. fig. 2. Philad. Museum, No. 5212.) 

 Sp. Charact. — Beneath and line over the eye bright 

 yellow ; a black crescent on the breast ; and with the 

 4 lateral tail feathers white. 



This well knowu harmless inhabitant of meadows 

 undold fields is not only found in every part of the 

 United States, but appears to be a resident in all 

 the intermediate region, from the frij;id latitude of 

 5.3'^,* to the mild table laud of Me.\ieo,t and the 

 tropical savannahs of Guiana. In the winter, they 

 abound in. Alabama and West Florida, so that in 

 some degree, like the Jays, and tlie legitimate Star- 

 lings, they partially migrate in quest of food during 

 the severity of the weather iu the colder states. It 

 is not however improbable, but that most of the mi- 

 grating families of this binl, which we find at this 

 season, have merely travelled eastward from the 

 cold western plains that are annually covered with 

 snow. But although they are a»w seen iu consid- 

 erable numbers, any single flock is never greater 

 than a pair and their attendant brood, or from 6 to 

 a dozen, in the case of a second covey. The true 

 Starlings, on the' contrary, have all the habits of our 

 common Blackbirds ; they asseudjle in winter, like 

 dark clouds, moving as one body, and when about 

 to descend, perform progressive circular evolutions 

 in the air like a phalanx in the order of battle ; and 

 when settled they blacken the earth with their 

 numbers, us well as stun the ears with their chat- 

 ter. Like crows also, they seek the slielter of reed 

 marshes to pass the night, and in the day take the 

 benefit of every sunny and sheltered covert. 



Our Starting, like the Americaij Quail, is socia- 

 ble, but scarcely gregarious ; and though many no 

 doubt, wander some distance after food, yet a few, 

 in Peimsylvania, as well as in this rigorous climate, 

 may be seen in the market after the ground is cov- 

 ered with snow. Wilson even observed them iu 

 the mouth of Febuary, during a deep snow, 

 among the heights of the Alleghanies, gleaning 

 their scanty pittance on the road, iu company with 

 tlie small snow birds. 



The flesh of our bird is white, and for size and 

 delicacy it ise considered little inferior to the Par- 

 tridge ; but that of the European species is black 

 and bitter. 



The flight of tlie Stumella is laborious and stea- 

 dy like that of the Q,uail, with the action of the 

 wings renewed at short intervals. They often 

 alight on trees, and select usually the main branch- 



* According to Richardson in Franklin's Journal. 

 i Bullock's Travels. 



raise 2 broods in the season. About the time of 

 pairing, m the latter end af the month of April, they 

 have a call like ^tship, twee, the latter syllable iu a 

 fine and slender tone, something again allied to the 

 occasional notes of the Red- winged Blackbird^ to 

 which genus, (Icterus) our Sturnellais not very re- 

 motely allied. Towards the close of June, little else 

 is heard irom the species, but the noisy twitter of the 

 female, preceded by a hoarse and sonorous 'j'imp or 

 'j'lp, accompanied by an impatient raising mid lower- 

 iiiL'ofthe wings,and in short all the imjileasant and 

 liiiulant actions of a brood hen, as she is now as- 

 siluously engaged iu fostering and supporting her 

 helpless and dejiendent off'spring. 



Their food consists of the larviB of various in- 

 sists, as well as worms, beetles, and grass seeds ; 

 to assist the digestion of which they swallow a con- 

 siderable portion of gravel. It does not appear 

 tint this species ever adds berries or fruits of any 

 kiid to his fare like the Starling, but usually re- 

 n.iins the whole summer in moist meadows, and 

 ii wiuter retires to the open grassy woods, having 

 u) iucliiiation to rob the orchard or garden, and, 

 e-.cept iu wiuter, is of a shy, timid, and retiring 

 dsposition. 



The length of the Stumella is lOA inches, its extent 

 1(A. Above, variegated with black, bright bay, and 

 oiVrcous. Tail wedged, the feathers pointed, the 4 out- 

 ernearly all white. Sides, thighs, and vent pale ochre- 

 ois spotted with black. Upper mandible brown, the low- 

 crbluish white. Iris hazel. Legs and feet large, pale 

 (I'sh color. In the young hitd the yellow is much faint- 

 ei, than in the adult, .\nolher species of this Subgenus 

 ij found at the Straits of Magellan, darker than ours, and 

 hnealh of a bright carmine red. They form truly a very 

 iMInct genus. 



From tllo Gonesfec Farmar. 



ON THE 3IEANS OF INDUCING FERTILITY 

 IN FRUIT TREES. 



Fcom I.inilley'3 ' Guide to Uje Orclinrd nnd Kitclien G.inlen.' 

 Some fruits of excellent quality are bad bearers : 

 this defect is remedied by a variety of diflerent 

 methods, such as ] . By rinsing the bark ; 'i. hy 

 'tending branches downwards ; 3. by training ; and i. 

 iy the tise of different kinds of stocJts. (a) All 

 these ])racticcs arc intended to produce exactly the 

 fame eflect by dift'erent ways. Physiologists 

 icnow that whatever tends to cause a rapid diffu- 

 sion of sap and secretions of any plant, causes 

 also the formation of leaf buds instead of flower- 

 buds ; and that whatever, on the contrary tends to 

 cause an accumulation of sap and secretions, has 

 tlie cftect of jiroduciug flower buds in abundance. 

 (b) This circumstance, which at first sight seems 

 of the jealous disposition of his tribe, and, having I to be difficult to account for physiologically, is no 

 settled the dispute which decides his future condi- doubt to be explained in the ditterence between 

 tion, he retires from his fraternity, and, assisted by leaf buds and fruit buds themselves. In a leaf 

 his mate, selects a thick tuft for the reception of iud, all the appendages or leaves are in a high 

 his nest, which is pretty compact, made of dry, state of development, and the central jiart or 

 wiry grass, and lined with finer blades of the same. Ijxis, lu-ound which they are arranged, has a tea 

 It is usually formed with a covered entrance in the dency to extend it.self in the form of a branch as 

 surrounding withered grass, through which a hid- goon as the necessary stimulus has been com- 

 den and almost winding path is made, generally so municatedto the system, by the fight iuid warmth 



es or topmost twigs on which to perch, though 

 their food is commonly collected from the ground. 

 At various times of the day, and nearly through 

 the winter in the milder states, their very pecuUar 

 lisping, long, and rather melancholy note is heard 

 at short intervals ; and, without the variations 

 which are not inconsiderable, bears some resem- 

 blance to the slender singing and affected pronun- 

 ciation of et se dee ah, and psedee etslllo, or tai se- 

 dilio in a slow, wiry tone, and sometimes differ- 

 ently varied and shortened. The same simple dit- 

 ty is repeated iu the spring, when they associate m 

 pairs ; the female also, as she rises or descenils, at 

 this time, frequently gives a reiterated guttural 

 chirp, or hurried twitter like that of the female 

 Red-winged Blackbird. I have likewise at times 

 heard them uttiu- notes much more musical and 

 vigorous, not very unlike the fine tones of the Sky- 

 Lark, which 



' Shrill-voiced and loud, the messenger of morn. 

 Ere yet the shadows lly, [high] mounted sings 

 Amid the dawning clouds, and from their haunts 

 Calls up the tuneful nations,' 

 but I can by no means comjiare our lisping song- 

 ster with that blithe ' harbinger of day.' There is 

 monotonous aff*ectation in the song of our Lark, 

 which appears indeed somewhat allied to the jing- 

 ling though not unplea-sant tuuc of the Starling.* 

 The Stare, moreover, has the faculty of imitating 

 human speech, (which ours has not, as far as we 

 yet know,) and could indifl'erently speak even 

 French, English, German, Latin, and Greek, or 

 any other language within his hearing, and repeat 

 short phrases, so that ' " / can't get out, I can't get 

 out," says the Starling,' which accidently afforded 

 Sterne such a beautiful and pathetic subject tor his 

 graphic pen, was probably no fiction. 



At the time of pairing, our Lark exhibits a little 



well concealed, that the nest is only to be found 

 when the bird is flushed. 



The eggs are 4 or 5, white, with a very faint 

 tint of blue, almost round, and rather large for the 

 size of the bird, marked with numerous small red- 

 dish brown spots more numerous at the greater 

 end, blended with other lighter and darker points 

 and small spots of the same, 



* Sturnus pisitat ore, mfot, pwi«/ro<, was the cry ofi 

 the Stare to the ears of the Romans. 



of spring. In a flower bud, the appendages or 

 leaves are in that imperfectly formed, contracted 

 state, which we name calyx, corolla, stamens and 

 pistilla ; and the central part around which they 

 are arranged, has no tendency to elongate under 

 the influence of the usual stimulus. Hence a flower 

 bud, or a flower, is nothingbut a contracted branch : 

 They probably often as is [>roved by the occasional elongation of the 

 axis in flowers that expand during unusually hot 

 damp weather late in the spring, becoming branch- 



