36 



RED-WINGED STARLING. 



ance for them as for the old ones, their share would amount to four 

 thousand two hundred millions; making a grand total of sixteen 

 thousand two hundred million of noxious insects destroyed in the 

 space of four months by this single species! The combined ra- 

 vages of such a hideous host of vermin would be sufficient to spread 

 famine and desolation over a wide extent of the richest and best 

 cultivated country on earth. All this, it may be said, is mere sup- 

 position. It is however supposition founded on known and acknow- 

 ledged facts. I have never dissected any of these birds in spring 

 without receiving the most striking and satisfactory proofs of those 

 facts ; and tho in a matter of this kind it is impossible to ascertain 

 precisely the amount of the benefits derived by agriculture from 

 this and many other species of our birds ; yet in the present case I 

 cannot resist the belief, that the services of this species, in spring, 

 are far more important and beneficial than the value of all that por- 

 tion of corn which a careful and active farmer permits himself to 

 lose by it. 



The great range of country frequented by this bird extends 

 from Mexico on the south, to Labrador. Our late enterprising tra- 

 vellers across the continent to the Pacific ocean observed it nume- 

 rous in several of the vallies at a great distance up the Missouri. 

 When taken alive, or reared from the nest, it soon becomes fa- 

 miliar, sings frequently, bristling out its feathers something in the 

 manner of the Cow Bunting. These notes, tho not remarkably va- 

 rious, are very peculiar. The most common one resembles the syl- 

 lables conk-quer-ree ; others the shrill sounds produced by filing a 

 saw ; some are more guttural ; and others remarkably clear. The 

 usual note of both male and female is a single chuck. Instances 

 have been produced where they have been taught to articulate se- 

 veral words distinctly; and contrary to that of many birds the male 

 loses little of the brilliancy of his plumage by confinement. 



A very remarkable trait of this bird is the great difference 

 of size between the male and female ; the former being nearly 



