THE STARLING. 269 



Sociability Manner of flying. 



&c. At the expiration of the time agreed upon, 

 the latter carried home a blackbird which he had 

 instructed with great care, and claimed his re- 

 muneration, declaring that he had received only 

 a blackbird. 



Unlike the blackbird, however, the starlings 

 are fond of society, assembling in vast flocks in 

 the winter evenings ; and they not only join 

 those of their own species, but also birds of a 

 different kind, redwings, fieldfares, and even 

 owls, jackdaws, and pigeons. They have a pecu- 

 liar manner of flying, which appears to be di- 

 rected by an uniform and regular system of tac- 

 tics, like that of a disciplined body, obeying with 

 precision the commands of a single chief. It is 

 the voice of instinct alone that the starlings 

 obey ; and that instinct teaches them to keep 

 constantly approaching the centre of the flock, 

 while the rapidity of their flight invariably car- 

 ries them beyond it. Thus this multitude of 

 birds, united by one common tendency towards 

 the same point, flying incessantly to and fro, and 

 crossing each other in every direction, form a 

 kind of agitated mass, which appears to perform 

 a general revolution round itself, resulting from 

 the particular movement of each of its parts. 

 This method of flight is attended with advan- 

 tages which could not be obtained in any other 

 manner. It protects the flock from the attacks 

 of the bird of prey, which, being embarrassed by 

 the numbers of his feeble adversaries, incom- 



