COMMON STARLING. 45 



in favour of this bird exists also in Shetland. Mr. Dunn 

 says it frequently builds its nest in the walls of the houses 

 so low that it may be easily reached with the hand, yet it 

 is seldom disturbed by the people. 



The Starling is common over Scandinavia, and on the 

 Faroe Islands ; and from the North of Europe is found as 

 far east as Nepal, the Himalaya Mountains, Calcutta, 

 China, and Japan. It is found also in the countries both 

 north and south of the Caucasian range ; in Persia ; at 

 Trebizond, by Keith Abbot, Esq., and at Smyrna by Mr. 

 Strickland. It inhabits both the northern and southern 

 countries bounding the Mediterranean ; and Mr. Gould, in 

 his Birds of Europe, says that it has been found in Africa 

 as far south as the Cape of Good Hope. As might be 

 expected, it has been taken at Madeira and the Canary 

 Islands, and is reported to be common at the Azores. Mr. 

 Charles Darwin saw this bird at Terceira, one of the 

 Azores, in September 1836. The geographical range of 

 this species appears, therefore, to be very extensive. Its 

 flight is vigorous and rapid. In progression on the ground 

 the Starling walks by alternate steps with each leg, like 

 the Crows. 



Adult males in their third summer, having previously 

 moulted in two preceding autumns, have the beak yellow, 

 except close to the base ; the irides brown ; the head, 

 neck, back, and all the under surface of the body, almost 

 black, but varied with purple and green, which are re- 

 flected with great brilliancy in different lights ; the feathers 

 on the upper part of the breast elongated and pointed ; 

 those on the shoulders partially tipped with buff colour ; 

 the wing-coverts, quill and tail feathers, greyish black, 

 edged with pale reddish brown ; the legs dark reddish 

 brown. 



