Tue ZooLocist—JuLy, 1876. 5005 
as upon it. I can quite understand that there are many crevices in the 
ground where insects are hidden, and in these the starling, being a very 
ingenious little fellow, will just use his beak, as he can his tongue, in a 
multitude of ways; in fact, he no doubt takes the insects out of such places 
much in the same manner as the interesting little fellow mentioned by 
Mr, Clogg takes the favourite morsel from between the lips of the lady— 
without making a number of holes in her lips before finding out that there 
is a way between them; and surely the starling is not such a fool, when he 
is potato hungry, as to commence by making a lot of holes in the potato 
in searching for what he clearly sees he can feast from on the outside as 
well as if he was in the middle of it. I hope the writers of the very 
interesting and pleasing nctes that have appeared in the ‘ Zoologist’ will 
not be offended when I say that, inasmuch as they are chiefly observations 
made from tame birds,—and although they no doubt establish the fact that 
the starling can and does use his bill according to circumstances,—they are 
nevertheless foreign to the original question.—John Sclater ; May 24, 1876. 
White Starling.—I have just seen seven starlings,—viz., two old birds 
and five young ones,—one of whom was of a pale dusky white. Readers 
will no doubt remember that I recorded a similar instance in the ‘ Zoologist’ 
for April.—C. Matthew Prior. 
Starlings and Elder-berries.—I can fully confirm Mr. Boyes’ observation 
(Zool. S. 8. 4877) with regard to starlings banquetting upon elder-berries, 
and it has often struck me that the birds seem uncommonly careless of their 
own safety when feeding upon them, as I have seen specimens shot by 
persons who had a weakness for elder-berry wine, and yet the surviving 
birds would soon return to the feast, and continued to do so until the trees 
were cleared of their fruit. The starling has also a peculiar taste for ivy- 
berries, at least while they have young ones. I know a place where the 
species annually build, in the thatch of a cottage, and the rejected seeds of 
the ivy have produced an abundant crop in the ground beneath. Whether 
the young starlings disgorge the ivy-berries, similar to young blackbirds and 
thrushes, I am not in a position to say. Whilst on the subject of birds 
and berries, I may remark that the holly-bushes in this neighbourhood are 
now (beginning of June) as heavily laden with their scarlet fruit as I ever 
saw them at Christmas; indeed last winter the “ hips and haws” and holly- 
berries alike seemed to have been almost neglected by the feathered tribes, 
caused no doubt by the open weather and consequent supply of food of a 
different nature. I know not if the same observation was made in other 
localities. —G. B. Corbin ; Ringwood, Hants. 
Crow laying twice in the same Nest.—A friend of mine, who is a very 
close observer on matters connected with Natural History, informs me that 
last month he abstracted four eggs from the nest of a crow (Corvus Corone), 
because the young ducks were just appearing, and he feared that a few of 
SECOND SERIES—VOL. XI. ; 2N 
