2 STARE. 



L'Etourneau, Bvf. iii. 176. pi. 15. PL enl. 75. Voy. en Barb. 271. 



Storno, Olin. t. p. 18. Cet. Uc. Sard. 184. Zinnan. Uov. p. 69. t. 10. f. 60. 



Staar, Wirs. Vog. t. 62. Georg. It. i. 173. Gunth. Nest u. Ey. t. 10. Id. t. 91. 



Naturf. xvii. 79. Id. 22. 133. Id. 25. 14. Schmid, Vog. p. 52. t. 39. 



Stare, or Starling, Gen. Syn.iil p. 2. Id. Sup. 137. Br. Zool. i. No. 104. pi. 46. 



Id. fol. t. P. 2. f. 1. Jd. Ed. 1812. i. p. 396. pi. 50. Arct. Zool. ii. 331. A. Alb. 



i. pi. 40. Will. Engl. p. 196. t. 37. Hayes Br. Birds, pi. 32. Shaiv's Zool. x. 



482. pi. 43. young. 44. adult. Bewick, pi. p. 88. Lewin Birds, ii. pi. 56. 



Bolt. Birds, i. pi. 1. Walcot. ii. pi. 239. Donov.iv. pi. 92. Pult. Cat. Dors. p. 



9. Collins Birds, pi. 12. f. 6. pi. 9. f. 9. Graves Br. Orn. ii. pi. 14. Orn. Diet. 



THE weight of this bird, is three ounces ; length eight inches 

 and three quarters. The bill scarcely one inch and a half, brown, 

 with a yellowish point ; nostrils surrounded with a prominent rim ; 

 irides hazel; general colour of the plumage black, glossed with blue, 

 purple, and copper bronze ; each feather marked at the end with 

 a pale yellow spot; wing coverts edged with yellow ; quills and tail 

 dusky, the former edged with yellow, the latter with dusky white ; 

 legs reddish brown. 



The female is like the male, but somewhat smaller. 



This bird is a general inhabitant of the Old Continent, from 

 Sweden to the Cape of Good Hope. Seen in England at all seasons, 

 and sometimes appears in vast flocks in the winter, giving reason to 

 suppose that in severe seasons the additional numbers migrated here 

 from colder regions : with us it builds in the hollows of rocks, ruined 

 edifices, decayed trees, and rarely on the branches, except when it 

 finds the old nest of a Thrush or another bird ; frequently builds in 

 Pigeon-houses, and is accused of sucking the eggs of those birds, 

 though we believe on no just foundation. 



The eggs in colour are light blue, varying to greenish ash, 

 and five or six in number ; in length one inch and a quarter ; and 

 each weighing about one dram and three quarters. The young birds 

 are dusky brown till the first moult : it is generally seen running on 

 the ground like the Wagtail or Lark ; rarely advancing by leaps 

 like the Thrush, and many others. 



