THE STARLING. 81 



that of sucking their eggs, there would soon be hue 

 and cry against it ; nor would the uproar cease until 

 the victor had driven away the vanquished. So 

 certain am I that the starling never sucks the eggs 

 of other birds, that, when I see him approach the 

 dovecot, I often say to him, s< Go in, poor bird, and 

 take thy rest in peace. Not a servant of mine shall 

 surprise thee, or hurt a feather of thy head. Thou 

 dost not come for eggs, but for protection ; and this 

 most freely I will give to thee. I will be thy friend 

 in spite of all the world has said against thee; and 

 here, at least, thou shall find a place of safety for 

 thyself and little ones. Thy innocence and useful- 

 ness demand this at my hands." 



The starling is gregarious ; and I am satisfied in 

 my own mind that the congregated masses of this 

 bird are only dissolved at the vernal equinox, be- 

 cause they have not sufficient opportunities afforded 

 them of places wherein to build their nests. If those 

 opportunities were offered them, we should see them 

 breeding here in multitudes as numerous as the rook. 

 They require a place for their nest, well protected 

 from the external air. The inside of the roof of 

 a house, a deep hole in a tower, or in the decayed 

 trunk or branch of a tree, are places admirably 

 adapted for the incubation of the starling; and he 

 will always resort to them, provided he be unmo- 

 lested. The same may be said of the jackdaw. 



Attentive observation led me to believe that the 

 great bulk of starlings left our neighbourhood in the 

 spring, solely for want of proper accommodation for 

 their nests. For many years, two pairs of starlings 



