57 



THE BROWN STARLING; OR 

 SOLITARY THRUSH. 



The Brown Starling is extremely rare 

 in Great Britain, though, according to 

 Latham, " this bird is frequent in France, 

 Italy, the Isles of the'Mediterranean, and the 

 Archipelago, where it is not only esteemed 

 for its song, but held in veneration by most 

 people, who think it sacrilege to take the 

 nest, or kill the bird/' 



Its haunts are in lonely, mountainous, 

 and rocky places, where it is always seen 

 alone, except during the breeding season, 

 when it feeds like the rest of its species on 

 insects and berries. In its size it is nearly 

 the same as the thrush, though its form is 

 more slender, bearing a resemblance both to 

 the thrush and the starling, between which 

 it seems to form the connecting link ; the 

 upper part of its plumage and belly are of ^ 

 dusky brown, and its throat and breast of 

 a dingy white. The female builds in the 



