The Starlings Eloquence 121 



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 clucking 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 broad- 

 cast, 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. Suddenly 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 up the herbage by the roots 

 and expose creeping things. * Come/ you may hear him 

 say, modulating his tones to persuasion, ( come quickly 

 you see it is a fresh piece of grass into which the cows 

 have been turned only -a few hours since ; it was too long 

 for us before, but where they have eaten we can get at the 

 ground comfortably. The water-wagtail is there already ; 

 he always accompanies the herd, and will have the pick 

 and choice of everything. Or what do you say to the 

 meadow by the brook ? The mowers have begun, and the 

 swathe has fallen before their scythes ; there are acres of 



