PA.SSERINE BIRDS. 



THE birds of this order have their bills of a conical form, and 

 pointed at the end ; and the feet are formed for perching and hopping, 

 the toes being slender and divided, with slender, bent, and sharp 

 claws. 



OF THE STAKE TRIBE' IN GENEKAL. 



IN the present tribe the bill is straight, and depressed. The nostrils 

 are guarded above by a prominent rim. The tongue is hard and 

 cloven ; and the middle toe is connected to the outermost as far as the 

 first joint. 



There are, belonging to this tribe, about twenty known species, some 

 of which are found exclusively upon the Old, and others on the New 

 Continent. They chiefly feed on insects and worms. 



THE STARLING. 



Few Birds are more generally known than the Starling. It is an 

 inhabitant of almost all climates, and is common in every part of 

 England. 



In the winter season Starlings collect in vast flocks, and may be 

 known at a great distance by their whirling 

 mode of flight ; which M. de Buffon compares 

 to a sort of vortex, in which the collective 

 body performs a uniformly circular revolution, 

 and at the same time continues to make a 

 progressive advance. The evening is the time 

 when Starlings assemble in the greatest num- 

 bers, and betake themselves to the fens and 

 marches. In the fens of Lincolnshire they 

 collect in myriads, and do great damage to the 

 inhabitants by roosting on the reeds, (the 

 thatch of that country,) and breaking them down by their weight. 



They chatter much in the evening and morning, both when they 

 assemble and disperse. So attached are they to society, that they not 

 only join those of their own species, but also birds of different kinds, 

 and are frequently seen in company with Bed wings, Fieldfares, .and 

 even with Owls, Jackdaws, and Pigeons. Their principal food consists 

 of Snails, Worms, and insects : they likewise eat various kinds of grain, 

 seeds, and fruit, and are said to be particularly fond of cherries. It "n 



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