THE KESTREL.— STARLING.— PURPLE GRAKLE. 291 



much larger, and quite as formidable as that of the Sparrow- 

 Hawk. 



The Kestrel {Tinjumaiius alaudarius) is also in the habit of 

 laying its eggs in the nest of other birds, and may possibly eject 

 the rightful owner by main force. This opinion is rendered pro- 

 bable by a fact mentioned by Mr. Peachey, in the ' Zoologist.' 

 A man was passing a tree, and hearing a loud screaming pro- 

 ceeding from a nest at the summit, he had the curiosity to climb 

 the tree. The screams still continued, and on putting his hand 

 into the nest, he found two birds struggling, the uppermost of 

 which he caught. This proved to be a Kestrel, and as soon as 

 it was secured, the other bird, which was a magpie, flew out, 

 evidently having been worsted by its antagonist. 



Then there is the well-known Starling {Stwnus vulgaris)^ 

 which is a notably parasitic bird, delighting to take the nests of 

 the jackdaw, pigeon, and other birds, and to use them as its 

 own. Every one who has a dovecote knows how apt are the 

 Starlings to usurp the boxes intended for the pigeons, and how 

 in consequence it is accused of killing the young of the pigeons, 

 and sucking their eggs, two accusations which I believe to be 

 wholly false. Were the Starlings to be thus predacious, the 

 pigeons would be quite aware of their depredations, and would 

 appear greatly disturbed whenever the robbers were seen. As, 

 however, the pigeons in one box live in perfect amity with the 

 Starlings in the next, it is very unlikely that the latter birds 

 prey in any way upon the former. 



There is a group of birds which are popularly called Grakles, 

 and are scientifically known as Quiscalinae. They are also called 

 Boat-tails, because their tail-feathers are formed so as to take the 

 shape of a canoe. One species, the Purple Grakle, or Crow- 

 Blackbird (Quiscalus versicolor), is conspicuous as a parasitic 

 bird, and selects a most extraordinary spot for its nest. 



Generally, the predacious birds are avoided and feared by 

 the rest of the feathered tribes, and if a hawk or eagle show 

 itself, the smaller birds either hide themselves, or try to drive 

 away the intruder by force of numbers or swiftness of wing. The 



