78 LIFE AND SPORT IN HAMPSHIRE 



afternoon ; but the time to hear them at their cheeriest 

 is between seven and ten o'clock, when the sun is 

 bright, after a night of heavy dew and a slight hoar 

 frost. I am an optimist when at such an hour I 

 hear the starlings. A good morning for starlings 

 is promised when by ten o'clock on a September 

 night the bow of the Milky Way is seen with the 

 utmost distinctness bent across the zenith from 

 horizon to horizon, and even Saturn shines almost 

 bright, and the turf is already sopping wet with 

 the dew. Next morning, an hour or so after sunrise, 

 in the freshness of the mild day, the starlings strike 

 up. I think they must sing before they eat in the 

 morning certainly before they attend seriously to 

 food. If by its utterance and behaviour any bird 

 can tell of pleasure and ease felt in good weather, 

 and in nice surroundings, the starling does. In the 

 starling choir in my beech and sycamore there 

 seem to be no eager competitors who wish to raise 

 their voices to drown the voices of their fellows. 

 Here is room for as many starlings as wish to come, 

 peace and ease for all in singing. Each sings un- 

 vexed by others around him. The more the cheerier. 

 How good it is to wake in the morning and hear 

 this charming, most friendly bird babble, and to 

 see through the open window the grass flashing 

 with the colours of Capella ! 



After these mild starling mornings come crisp, 

 clean days, before the general turn of the leaf. 



