PERCHING BIRDS. 127 



near the lighthouse on Flamborough Head, which had 

 been killed, lamed, or stupefied by flying against the 

 lantern of that brilliant light, seems to leave no doubt 

 on the question, as they were evidently approaching our 

 shores from the continent. 



The great abundance of old decaying oaks in the 

 forest leaves the starlings little to desire in the choice 

 of a resting-place, and with us other sites are but seldom 

 selected ; but in 1853 I met with several pairs which 

 had appropriated some deserted holes of the sand-martin 

 at Robin Dam, near R-ufford, a very unusual site. 

 Pigeon cotes are also chosen, but in these cases the poor 

 starlings become the victims of an ignorant prejudice, 

 the common idea being that they suck the eggs of the 

 pigeons. I fully believe them guiltless of such a habit, 

 and that they are prompted to resort to such places only 

 by a natural instinct to secure a comfortable domicile 

 for their young. The stove-pipe, which I have men- 

 tioned as generally occupied by the sparrow, was once 

 selected by a starling for its nest, but its eggs shared 

 the same fate of being half baked. 



No skill is exhibited by the starling in the construction 

 of the nest, but it accumulates as great a mass of 

 materials as the house sparrow, chiefly dry grass and 

 straw, and rudely lined with a few feathers. I never 

 met with it otherwise than in a hole or cavity of some 

 kind. 



Insects form the staple of the starling's food, and I 

 think are alwais preferred when attainable. I have occa- 

 sionally seen the birds seize insects on the wing, although 

 it is not a common habit, and the first time it came 

 under my notice it struck me as very unusual. A pair 

 had a nest in the hollow of an old oak in the forest, 



