282 BIRDS AND MAN 



enough in and near London, and it was observed 

 that early in July they began to go away before 

 their usual time, their evening gatherings show- 

 ing a great falling off. At the end of summer, 

 when the great heat was over and rain fell, many 

 of the birds returned ; and some thousands 

 probably remained through the winter. 



Whether or not the starhng ever rears more 

 than one brood in a season has long been a moot 

 question. I am convinced that in London he 

 rears but one, in spite of the fact that every 

 summer a number of pairs may be seen engaged 

 in feeding their young, in or out of the nest, as 

 late as the third week in August. I believe that 

 all of these late breeders have lost their first 

 young, and for the following reason. The late 

 broods are always at a distance from any open 

 space ; and it must be borne in mind that it 

 is only on the large grassy open space that the 

 starling can find the food its young requires. 

 The birds that have their nests in or near the 

 parks bring off their young in June and are 

 not seen breeding again. These are the starlings 

 that form the large gatherings seen at the 

 roosting -places at the end of June ; the great 



