The Wonderful Battel of Starlings: 



Fought at the City oj Cork, in Ireland, the 12th and 14th of October 1621. 

 As it hath been credibhj informed by divers noblemen and others of 

 the said Kingdom, etc. London, Printed for N. B. 1622. 



Cork is a City in the West of Ireland, in the Province of Munster; 

 for Situation, and all Commodities, which Sea or Land may afford, not 

 inferior to any City in that Country. About the 7th of October last, 

 Anno 1621, there gathered together, by Degrees, an unusual Multitude 

 of Birds called Stares, in some Countries known by the Name of Star- 

 lings. Quality bold and venturous, among themselves very loving, as 

 may appear by their Flights, keeping together all Times of the Year, 

 excepting the Breeding-Time. It is, and hath been an old Proverb, 

 that Birds of a Feather hold and keep together; which hath even been 

 a common Custom in these as much as in any other Kind whatsoever: 

 But now the old Proverb is changed, and their Custom is altered clean 

 contrary. For at this Time, as these Buxls are in Taste bitter, so they 

 met to fight together the bitterest and sharpest Battel among them- 

 selves, the like, for the Manner of their Flight, and for the Time the 

 Battel did continue, never heard Oi- seen at any Time, in any Country 

 of the World. CI believe) 



We read in the Histories of our own Country, that, in the twelfth 

 Year of King Richard II. the Gnats mustered together at Shine now 

 called Richmond, in great Abundance, with so great a Multitude, that 

 the Air was obscured and darkned by them. They fought so violent 

 a Battel among themselves, that, by Estimation, two Parts of them 

 were slain, and fell to the Ground. The Number of those which were 

 killed was so great that they were taken up with Shovels, and swept 

 together with Besoms, that Bushels were filled with them, the third 

 Part having gotten the Victory, flew away and vanished, no Man knew 

 whither. 



Now to come to the Fight of our Birds, the Stares or Starlings: 



They mustered together, at this above-named City of Cork, some 

 four or five Days before they fought their Battels, every Day more 

 and more increasing their Armies with greater Supphes; some came 

 as from the East, others from the West, and so accordingly they placed 

 themselves, and as it were incamped Themselves Eastward and West- 

 ward about the City: During which Time their Noise and Tunes were 

 strange on both Sides, to the great Admiration of the Citizens and the 

 Inhabitants near adjoining, who had never seen, for Multitude, or ever 

 heard, for loud Tunes which they uttered, the like before. Whereupon 

 they more curiously observing the Courses and Passages they used, 

 noted, that from those on the East, and from those on the West, sundry 

 Flights, some twenty and thirty in a Company, would pass from the 

 one Side to the other, as it should seem employed in Embassies; for they 

 would fly and hover in the Air over the Adverse Party, with strange 



