The Perching-birds 



519 



of an evening ... by millions, from the low grounds aliout the Severn, where their noise and 

 stench are something altogether unusual. By packing in such myriads upon evergreens, they 

 have stripped them of their leaves, except just at the tops, and have driven the pheasants, 

 for ^yholn the plantation was intended, quite away from the ground. In the daytime, when 

 the birds are not there, the stench is still excessive. ]\Ir. Miles was about to cut the whole 

 plantation down, to get rid of them, two years ago, but I begged him not to do so, on account 

 of the curiosity of the scene, and he has since been well pleased that he abstained." 



A similar but still larger congregation has been described; in this, alwut the year 1845 

 from 100,000 to 200,000 starlings were computed to rest every night, between the end of 

 October and the end of JMarch, in certain trees in the gardens of the Zoological Society in 

 Dublin. The roof of St. Patrick's Cathedral, in the heart of Dul)lin, has from time to time 

 been resorted to, as many as 

 2,000 seeking shelter there. 

 " Possessing very considerable 

 powers of wing,'' observes 

 Yarrell, "these are turned to 

 account in an extraordinary 

 manner by the birds composing 

 the flock. They wheel, close, 

 open out, rise and descend, as 

 if each were obeying a com- 

 mander, and all this is done 

 with the utmost marvellous 

 precision while the flock is 

 proceeding at a rapid pace 

 through the air. At times it 

 may extend in a long and 

 nearly straight thread; 

 suddenly an undulation is \isi- 

 ble along the line, and in a 

 moment it takes the form of 

 a thin and smoke-like cloud ; 

 another moment, and it is 

 a dense and almost perfect 

 globe ; then possibly, having 

 preserved this appearance for 

 a perceptibly longer time, it 

 becomes pear-shaj)ed, and in 

 another instant has assumed 

 a sj^iral figure ; an instant after 



it has sjjread out like a sheet, and its members are streaming softly along the ground, 

 perhaps to alight, or perhaps once more to mount aloft and circle as before." There are 

 few more magnificent sights in the world than a flock of starlings when performing evolutions 

 of this kind. 



Differing much, not only in general ajjpearance, but also in coloration, from the common 

 starling is the Eose-coloured Starling, so called from the beautiful rose-pink colour of the 

 back and breast, set off by the rest of the plumage, which is black, glossed with violet, blue, 

 and green reflections. This handsome bird occasionally visits Britain. Feeding largely upon 

 locusts, these birds are much affected in their movements by the peregrinations of these 

 pests ; and this accounts for the sporadic appearance of the rose-coloured starling in huge 

 flocks in places where it is generally seldom seen. 



Dull in appearance, ungraceful in flight, and with a harsh, unmusical note, the starling 



Photo by t. Ai.Jj 



[ ICis/Kur, X.B. 



YOUNG STARLINGS. 

 Starlings, if taken when yuung, are easily tamed and make excellent pets. 



