NOTES AND QUERIES. 469 



some for years, both in cages and aviary, but never found a feather at the 

 adoption of breeding-plumage. Their spring moult is a myth. — A. G. Butler. 



Starlings rearing Two Broods in one Season. — Referring to Mr. 

 Sutton's note on this subject (p. 388), I may remark that a second brood 

 of Starlings is no very great rarity, at least in Hampshire. In 1872 I 

 recorded an instance of this in the neighbourhood of Ringwood, and my 

 friend (the late) Rev. H. G. W. Aubrey confirmed the observation by a 

 record of a double if not triple brood in his own neighbourhood, about 

 eleven miles from here (Zool. 1872-73). But to mention a more recent 

 date : in the roof of a house almost opposite my own, two broods have 

 been reared during the past summer, and now (Oct. 29th) the old birds are 

 apparently repairing the nest for a third venture. During the exceptionally 

 mild weather of last winter, a pair of Starlings might have been seen, 

 especially in the early morning, on the corner of the house near the 

 nesting-holes, or on the chimney at no great distance, uttering their well- 

 known plaintive note, and very early in the year— (I unfortunately did not 

 take the dates) — a brood was hatched, and as soon as they were able to fly 

 the old birds drove them off and began a second nidification. On several 

 occasions I was much amused to see the squabbles which took place 

 between the old dark-coloured birds and their greyer-looking young. The 

 latter were continually trying to enter the nesting-hole, which they some- 

 times succeeded in doing and were at once ruthlessly expelled by their 

 parents. At first there were four young ones, but eventually the number 

 was reduced to a single bird, which still clung to its old home until the 

 second brood was hatched early in August, and so far as I could make out 

 it assisted its parents to feed its younger relatives. It certainly carried 

 something in its beak and entered the nesting-hole without molestation 

 from the old birds, if they happened to return at the time. It is some- 

 what strange that, except in the early morning, the birds were scarcely 

 seen at all in the neighbourhood ; this may partly arise from the nesting- 

 site being in the street. The second brood seem all to have disappeared 

 suddenly, as I have not seen one of them for several mornings past ; but 

 while I am writing (Oct. 29th) I can see the two old birds perched on the 

 slates near their favourite nursery, one of them whistling, whilst the 

 survivor of the first family sits in a disconsolate attitude on the chimney- 

 top, notwithstanding that the slates are covered with hoar-frost. Is it a 

 well-known trait in the character of the Starling that often in the fine days 

 of autumn it will soar to a considerable height, and hawk for flies in the 

 bright sunlight after the manner of a Swallow? I have often seen them do 

 so, but their soaring is not long continued. — G. B. Corbin (Ringwood, Hants). 



[As to Starlings hawking flies, we find on reference to an old note-book 

 that we commented upon this habit of the bird in a note contributed to 

 the Natural History columns of ' The Field,' Oct. 14th, 1871.— Ed.] 



