348 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



In spite of all the time and energy wasted in their 

 perpetual races and chases going on all over the 

 village, every bird exerting himself to the utmost 

 to rob all he can from his pals, they get enough to 

 eat ; for when the day is over and other daws from 

 other villages drop in to visit them, all unite in a big 

 crowd and wheel about, making the place ring with 

 their merry yelping cries, before sailing away to 

 the wood. One might say after witnessing and 

 listening to this evening performance that they have 

 great joy in their rascally lives. 



But for the poor starling there is little joy in these 

 brief, dark, wet winter days, even if there is little 

 frost in this West Cornwall climate. A frost of a 

 few days' duration would be fatal to incalculable 

 numbers, especially if, as in the great frosts of the 

 winters of 1894-5 and 1896-7, severest in the south 

 and west of England, it should come late in winter. 

 I think it can be taken as a fact that a long or over- 

 seas migration takes place before midwinter or not 

 at all. In January and February, when birds are 

 driven to the limits of the land by a great cold they 

 do not cross the sea, either because they are too weak 

 to attempt such an adventure or for some other 

 reason unknown to us. We see that on these occasions 

 they come to the seashore and follow it south and 

 west even to the western extremity of Cornwall, 

 and then either turn back inland or wait where they 



