338 FINCHES. 
seeming to be under the command of one single hird, and to obey his orders 
witi an instantaneous action which appears little short ofa miracle. A whole 
cloud of Starlings may often be seen flying along at a considerable elevation 
from the ground, darkening the sky as they pass overhead, when of a sudden 
the flock becomes momentarily indistinguishable, every bird having simul- 
taneously turned itself on its side so as to present only the edge of its wings 
to the eye. The whole body will then separate into several divisions, each 
division wheeling with the most wonderful accuracy, and after again uniting 
their forces they will execute some singular manceuvre, and then resume their 
onward progress to the feeding-ground or resting-place. 
The nest of the Starling is a very loose kind of affair, composed of straw, 
roots, and grasses, thrust carelessly together, and hardly deserving the name 
ofanest. In many cases the bird is so heedless that it allows bits of straw or 
grass to hang from the hole in which the nest is placed, just as if it had inten- 
tionally furnished the bird-nesting boy with a clue to the position of the nest. 
Although this bird makes its home in some retired spot, such as the cleft of 
a rock, a niche in some old ruin, a ledge in a church-tower, or a hole in a 
decaying tree, there are few nests more easy to discover ; for not only does 
the bird leave indications of its home in the manner already described, but 
is so very loquacious that it cannot resist the temptation of squalling loudly 
at intervals, especially when returning to its domicile laden with food for its 
young, and so betrays the position of its home. The eggs are generally five 
in number, and of the faintest imaginable blue. 
The food of the Starling is very varied, but consists chiefly of insects. These 
birds have a habit of following cows, sheep, and horses, fluttering about them 
as they move for the purpose of preying upon the insects which are put to 
flight by their feet. The Starlings also perch upon the backs of the cattle, 
and rid them of the parasitic insects that infest them. From the sheep the 
Starling often takes toll, pulling out a beakful of wool now and then, and 
carrying it away to its nest. It is a voracious bird, the stomach of one of 
these birds having been found to contain more than twenty shells, some 
of no small size, and all nearly perfect; a great number of insects, and 
some grain. Another Starling had eaten fifteen molluscs of different kinds, 
a number of perfect beetles, and many grubs. 
The colour of this bird is very beautiful, and is briefly as follows: The 
general tint is an extremely dark purplish green, having an almost metallic 
glitter in astrong light. The feathers of the shoulders are tipped with buff, and 
the wing-coverts, together with the quill feathers of the tail and wings, are 
edged with pale reddish brown. The beak is a fine yellow. The feathers of 
the upper part of the breast are elongated and pointed. This is the plumage 
of the adult male, and is not brought to #s perfection until three years have 
elapsed. The first year’s bird, before its autumnal moult, is almost wholly of 
a brownish grey, and after its moult is partly brown and partly purple and 
green. In the second year the plumage is more decided in its tints, but is 
variegated with a great number of light-coloured spots on the under and 
upper surfaces, and the beak does not attain its beautiful yellow tinge. 
WE now arrive at the large and important families of the FINCHES. In all 
these birds the bill is conical, short, and stout, sharp at the extremity and 
without any notch in the upper mandible. 
The first group of the Finches is composed of a number of species which, 
although for the most part not conspicuous either for size, beauty of form, or 
brilliancy of colour, are yet among the most remarkable of the feathered tribe, 
on account of their architectural powers. Dissimilar in shape, form, and 
material, there is yet a nameless something in the construction of their edifices 
which at once points them out as the workmanship of the Weaver Birds. Some 
