304 A WINTER STORM 



starling. The scout starling ran up to the food, sidled 

 round and round it, approached it, retreated, approached 

 it again, seemed most strongly tempted to sample it, 

 but resisted, and flew back to his comrades with his 

 report. Evidently he told them he could not be sure 

 about the nature of the supply; it looked all right, 



smelt particularly well, but ; so they sent him 



back, the same bird, for a fresh inspection. He went 

 through the same performance, circling round the 

 alluring substance, all but touching it, never quite. 

 Finally he made up his mind that it wouldn't do 

 better leave it alone, he reported ; and no more atten- 

 tion was paid to it, the hungry little party continuing 

 to burrow in the snow for insipid green stuff, while the 

 nutritive and tasty offering we had made was declined 

 with, or without, thanks. It is a good thing to be 

 clever, but it is as possible for starlings as for other 

 people to be too clever by half. 



THE END 



Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty 

 at the Edinburgh University Press 



