INCREASING BIRDS IN BRITAIN 255 



assisted by the hobby (rarer still) and the merlin. 

 It was more exposed than other birds to these 

 enemies owing to its gregarious and feeding habits 

 in grasslands and the open country, also to its slower 

 flight. The greatest drain on the species came, 

 however, from man. The starling was a favourite 

 bird for. shooting-matches up till about thirty years 

 ago, and was taken annually in large numbers by 

 the bird-catchers for the purpose. It is probable 

 that this use of the bird for sport caused people to 

 eat it, and so common did the habit become that 

 at the end of summer, or before the end, shooting 

 starlings for the pot was practised everywhere. 

 Old men in the country have told me that forty 

 or fifty years ago it was common to hear people on 

 the farms say that of all birds the starling was the 

 best to eat. 



When starling and sparrow shooting-matches 

 declined, the starling went out of favour as a table- 

 bird, and from that time the species has been in- 

 creasing. At present the rate of increase grows from 

 year to year, and during the last decade the birds 

 have colonized every portion of the north of Scotland 

 and the islands where the starling had previously 

 been a rare visitor — a bird unknown to the people. 

 Here in West Cornwall where I am writing this 

 chapter the starling was only a winter visitor until 

 recently. Eight years ago I could only find two pairs 



