ii6 INCREASE AND DISPERSAL OF BIRDS 



into three separate categories. We find that 

 certain species that have always, so far as our 

 knowledge extends, inhabited our country have 

 greatly increased in number and extended their 

 bounds. Others, again, that have been known 

 as passing visitors only, have settled, as it 

 were, with us and become resident and breed- 

 ing species ; yet others, formerly quite unknown, 

 have suddenly appeared and multiplied exceed- 

 ingly. Of the first category we may take the 

 starling as a striking example. 



This bird is to-day the ubiquitous inhabitant 

 of every part of the country ; and not of the 

 country in the restricted sense of the term only, 

 but of every village, town, and city as well. 

 Yet those whose memories go back to the 

 middle of the last century remember that the 

 starling was then, comparatively, a rare and 

 much-cherished bird. Nothing was more com- 

 mon than to see nesting-boxes hung on gables 

 of houses or barns or on some adjacent trees, 

 with a view to encourage them to take up their 

 abode. Young starlings were eagerly sought 

 after as pets, for which purpose the ease with 

 which they can be tamed and their wonderful 

 power of mimicry and even of articulation 

 particularly recommend them. 



At that time, when the bird was already 



