86 Order I 



uncommon thing to discover a winter " roost " of many 

 thousands, which literally break down reeds, shrubs or 

 even small trees by their combined weight. Abroad 

 our bird is sufficiently common throughout most of 

 Europe except the far north, Spain, Portugal, Sardinia, 

 Corsica, Sicily, and the Faeroes ; in Asia a form 

 occurs in Siberia and from Asia Minor to north India. 

 The question of its range is complicated by the occur- 

 rence of an unspotted species in south Europe. The 

 buff markings on the black plumage with its green and 

 purple sheen are only characteristic of the adult Starling, 

 for the young are plain brown with duller yellow bill. 

 In this state they are often seen in autumn flocking to 

 our shores, where migrants also arrive from abroad ; 

 but the birds are more familiar to us on our houses 

 and in our woods, where they make a very untidy straw 

 nest in almost any sort of hole and lay some six pale 

 blue eggs. Occasionally heaps of stones on roadsides 

 are made use of. Starlings are decidedly beneficial to 

 the farmer, as they eat huge quantities of slugs, worms, 

 insects and their larvse ; the only harm they do is to 

 ornamental berries or fruit, if we except the few small 

 birds they are occasionally known to kill. Wary but 

 by no means shy, their funny ways and queer little 

 hurried runs when feeding on the ground are known 

 to every observer, but the varied shrill notes of these 

 admirable mimics often delude him as to their author. 

 The flight is strong, but somewhat spasmodic. Our 

 breeding stock is partially migratory. 



The Rose-coloured Starling (Pastor roseus) with its 

 beautiful rose-pink body, black wings, tail, neck, and 

 crested head, is an irregular visitor to Britain, generally 

 between spring and autumn, when it attaches itself to 



