82 



THE STARLING. 



starlings remained on my island. One of them re- 

 gularly built its nest in the roof of the house, having 

 found entrance through a neglected aperture ; the 

 other reared its young, high up, in the deep hole of 

 an aged sycamore tree. Two or three pairs fre- 

 quented the dovecot ; but I observed that they built 

 their nests in the crannies, and not in the holes made 

 for the pigeons. These poor birds, together with the 

 owl, had to suffer persecution from wanton ignorant 

 servants, until I proclaimed perpetual peace in their 

 favour, and ordered, I may say, the Temple of Janus 

 to be shut, never more to be opened during my 

 time. 



Having been successful in establishing the owl 

 in the old ivy tower over the gateway, I conjec- 

 tured, from what I had observed of the habits of 

 the starling, that I could be equally successful in 

 persuading a greater number of these pretty lively 

 birds to pass the summer with me. I made twenty- 

 four holes in the old ruin ; and in the spring of 

 this year I had twenty-four starlings' nests. There 

 seemed to be a good deal of squabbling about the 

 possession of the holes ; till, at last, might over- 

 came right. The congregated numbers suddenly 

 disappeared, no doubt with the intention of finding 

 breeding quarters elsewhere ; and the remaining 

 four and twenty pairs hatched and reared their 

 young ; causing, I fear, the barn owls, their next- 

 door neighbours in the tower, many a sleepless day, 

 by their unwelcome and incessant chatterings. 



On the one hand, when we consider how careful 

 the starling is in selecting a place for its incubation. 



