234 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



this same bird feed his mate on other occasions during 

 the winter months, when I have no doubt that he, 

 poor wretch, could hardly find food enough to keep 

 himself alive during the dark season of everlasting 

 wind and rain, when the dim daylight lasted for about 

 six hours. But I never saw a daw or starling feed 

 his mate, or feed another daw or starling, although 

 I watched closely every day and often for an hour 

 at a stretch, and though I am convinced that the 

 starling, like the rook and crow and daw, and in 

 fact all the corvidae, pairs for life. To this point I 

 will return presently ; let me first relate another 

 incident about our frivolous and irresponsible 

 young cow, 



One morning when the cows were in the field, 

 some herring-gulls drifted by and a few of them 

 remained circling about above the field, I threw 

 out a piece of bread, and a troop of starlings rushed 

 to it, and one of the gulls dropped down and took 

 possession of it, but had scarcely begun tearing at 

 it when two more gulls dropped down, and the first 

 bird, lifting his wings, began screaming " Hands 

 off I " at the others, and the others, also raising their 

 wings, screamed their wailing screams in reply. 

 The young cow, attracted by the noise, gazed at 

 them for a few moments, then all at once putting 

 her head down furiously charged them. The three 

 gulls rose up simultaneously and floated over her 



