RED-WINGED STARLING. 281 
RED-WINGED STARLING.—STURNUS PREDATORIUS.— 
‘Fie. 136, Marz; Fic. 137, Femare. 
+ Bartram, 291,— Oriolus-pheeniceus, Linn. Syst. 161.— Red-winged Oriole, Arct. 
Zool. 265, No. 140.— Le Troupiale 4 aisles pugs Briss. ii. 97, — Le eomman- 
deur, Buff. iii. 214, Pl. enl. 402.— Lath. i. .— Acolchichi, Fernand. Nov. 
Hsp. p. 14.— Peale’s Museum, No. 1466, 1467. ; 
AGLAIUS PHOENICEUS. — Viei.ior.* 
Aglaius Pheeniceus, Vieill. Gall. des Ois. — North. Zool. ii. p. 280.—cterus Phoe- 
niceus, Bonap. Synop. p. 52.——The Red-winged Starling, or Marsh Blackbird. 
Aud. pl. 67, male in different states, female, and young; Orn. Biog. i. p. 348. 
Tuis notorious and celebrated corn thief, the long-reputed plunderer 
and. pest of our honest and laborious farmers, now presents himself 
before us, with his copartner in iniquity, to receive the character due 
for their very active and distinguished services. In investigating the 
nature of these, I shal] endeavor to render strict historical justice to 
this noted pair; adhering to the honest injunctions of the poet — 
Nothing extenuate, 
Nor set down aught in malice.. 
Let the reader divest himself equally of prejudice,-and we shall be at 
no loss to ascertain accurately their true character. 
* This bird, I believe, will rank under the Icteri of Brisson, but seems first men- 
tioned by Daudin under that title. Like the others of this intricate family, it has 
been described under a multitude of names; but the above seems the preferable 
one to be adopted. Wilson also changed the specific name to Predatorius, taken 
‘from its plundering habits, whereas; without doubt, he should have retained its ori- 
inal designation. North America possesses another beautiful species, figured in 
e Continuation of the Ornithology by Bonaparte. a 
Wilson is somewhat puzzled in what genus to place this bird, and'is only recon- 
ciled to join it with our Common Starling, which it much resembles in its congrega- 
ted flights. In this country, we cannot expect to see a flight of such numbers as 
Wilson mentions ; still they are sometimes very numerous, and one might almost 
conceive the. appearance of the one, from their recollections of the other. In'the 
low meadows of Holland, again, some relative proportion may be found. 1 have 
seen an extent of flat surface, as far as the eye could reach around, covered with 
flocks of Starlings, associated with Lapwings and Golden Plovers; and the flocks 
that rose on the approach of night were sometimes immense. In the islands of 
Sardinia, and those adjacent, and where they may be augmented by the presence 
of another species, the St. unicolor of Temminck, I am told that the assemblage 
of birds is innumerable in the lower. valleys, and among the lakes and reedy 
marshes which cover so much of the lower parts of these countries. In their evc- 
. lutions before retiring to rest among reeds: or bushes, the two birds also resemble 
each other. That of Europe is thus described by an observing naturalist :— “ There 
is something singular] ly curious and, mysterious in the conduct of these birds, pre- 
vious to their nightly retirement, by the variety and intricacy of the evolutions they 
execute at that time. They will form themselves, perhaps, into a triangle, then 
“shoot into a long, pear-shaped figure, expand like a sheet, wheel into a ball, aa 
Pliny observes, each individual striving to get into the centre, &c., with a prompti 
tude more like parade movemeits, than the action of birds.” Ihave known them 
watched for, when coming to roost, and shot in considerable numbers. Their wings. 
afford favorite si for fishers. —Ep. 
