170 



STURNID.E. 



" In the Isle of Wight," says the Rev. Charles Bury, 

 " the Common Starling is now generally distributed, and in 

 considerable numbers ; yet fifty years ago, as I am credibly 

 informed, the bird was not to be found in the island. Several 

 persons have spoken of it to me as having been very scarce 

 only twenty years back." 



In Scotland, or at least in some parts of that kingdom, the 

 Starling is not a permanent resident, judging from the obser- 

 vations of the Rev. G. Gordon, who, in a Fauna of Moray, 

 says, " The Starling is seen almost every year in small flocks 

 of from four to eight in the spring and autumn, and even 

 sometimes in December ; a few, like a young brood, observed 

 one summer by Mr. Martin, at Stotfield, has been the only 

 indication of their breeding in this part of Scotland, except 

 at the churchyard of Petty, where, according to George 

 Anderson, Esq., of Inverness, it has been known to build for 

 many years in the roof of the Mackintosh's tomb ; and at 

 Moy, in Strath-dearm" 



They frequent Caithness, and rear their young among the 

 rocks that bound its southern shore. 



" In Shetland," says Mr. Edmonston, " the Starling is very 

 common at all seasons, breeding in caves, crevices of rocks, 

 etc., generally near the sea : they congregate in large flocks 

 after the breeding-season." 



The localities in which the Starling breeds have been suffi- 

 ciently indicated above ; it remains but to speak of the 

 materials of which the nest is composed. These are generally 

 straw, roots, and dry grass ; we have also seen green leaves 

 plucked by these birds and carried to their hole ; the eggs, 

 five or six in number, are pale clear bluish green, without spot 

 or cloud, somewhat pointed at both ends. 



The entire length of the Starling is nine inches : the wing- 

 measures five inches from the carpus to the tip, and the first 

 and second quill- feathers are of equal length ; the tail is 



