176 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



We read in the Histories of onr own Counti-y, that, in tiie 

 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 Num- 

 ber 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 Supplies; some came 

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

 placed themselves, and as it were ineamped Themselves Eastward 

 and Westward 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 adjt)ining, 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 

 Tunes and Noise, and so return back again to that Side from which 

 as it seemed, \hej were sent. 



And farther it was observed, that, during the Time they as- 

 sembled, the Stares of the East sought their Meat Eastward, as 

 the Stares of the West did the like Westward; no one flying in 

 the circuits of the other. 



These Courses and Customs continued with them until the 12th 

 of October, which Day being Saturday, about Nine of the Clock 

 in the Moniing, being a very fair and a Sun-shine Day, upon a 

 strange Sound and Noise, made as well on the one Side as the 

 other, they forthwith, at one Instant, took Wing, and so mounting 

 up into the Skies, encountered one another with such a ten-ible 

 Shock, as the Sound amazed the whole City and the Beholders. 

 Upon this sudden and fierce Encounter,' there fell down in the 

 City, and into the Rivers, Multitudes of Starlings or Stares, some 

 with Wings broken, some with Legs and Necks broken, some with 

 Eyes picked out, some their Bills thrust into the Breast and Sides 

 of their Adversaries, on so si rage a Manner, tht it were incredible, 

 except it wei-e confirmed by Letters of Credit, and by Eye-Witnesses 

 with that Assurance Avhich is without all Exception. 



