Birds. 2559 



mains of the same species were discovered, but none of them approaching the vast 

 dimensions of this former antlered monarch of the woods. The following brief mea- 

 surement summary will afford some idea of the size of this magnificent specimen. 

 The skeleton stands 12\ feet from the hoof to the tips of the horns; the breadth be- 

 tween the tips or points of the antlers being 11 feet, or 13 feet 6 inches measuring by 

 the curve. From the hind foot to the pelvis measures 7 feet, and the palm of the 

 antlers is 2 feet 7 inches long by 1 foot 5 inches broad ; some of the spikes of the 

 antlers are 2^ feet long, and the face is 1 foot 10^ inches in length : three of the cut- 

 ting teeth of this animal have also been found, which did not accompany any speci- 

 men hitherto discovered. The bed in which the skeleton was found had been 

 experimented on. It has a depth of more than twenty feet, and is different in ap- 

 pearance from any mould in that country. When exposed to the air, it exfoliated 

 into plates as thin as the leaves of a book, showing a beautiful stratified structure. 



The Birds of Melbourne. By J. J. Briggs, Esq. 



(Continued from page 2493). 



Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). See Zool. 724. Flocks of starlings 

 and flocks of rooks, jackdaws and lapwings sometimes associate. The 

 object which the former have in view, appears to me to be, that the 

 rooks being far-sighted birds, and having also a keener sense of hear- 

 ing, are excellent sentinels, and on the least appearance of danger are 

 enabled to raise the alarm, and thus the starlings feed in greater se- 

 curity. Enter a field where both parties are feeding and it will gene- 

 rally be found, that the starlings are completely surrounded by the 

 rooks as a number of skirmishers, who, on the least noise, rise on the 

 wing, and the former, as regularly as possible, rise also and follow in 

 their wake. In like manner they attend on lapwings, which are even 

 more fearful birds than rooks, and on the slightest occasion, rise from 

 the pasture and commence their wailing cries and motions of distress. 

 It is very amusing to see how naturally starlings follow these birds, 

 which they will do for miles, flying where they fly, settling down 

 where they settle, and feeding where they feed. That they have 

 some great end to answer by these actions is evident; and some natu- 

 ralists have supposed that they more easily procure food, as the rooks, 

 by reason of their peculiarly formed mandibles, are good pioneers in 

 that respect, but then I am not aware that lapwings are similarly 

 gifted, and with us they associate with one bird almost as much as the 

 other. Among my memoranda I find the following note: " Feb. 20, 

 Starlings have already begun to build in our neighbour's cottage. 

 They have fixed on a hole beneath the rafter, and will maintain 



