COMMON STARLING. 



485 



behind the eyes the feathers are paler than those 

 adjacent : from the beak to the eye dusky : the 

 feathers on the throat and neck beneath are pale 

 yellowish brown at their tips, whitish at their 

 base, which gives that part a mottled appearance: 

 the upper part of the breast plain brown, but 

 rather paler than the back ; the sides under the 

 wings nearly the same : the lower breast and belly 

 down to the vent mottled, or streaked with brown 

 and white, the middle of the feathers being of the 

 former colour : the under tail-coverts pale brown, 

 with a rufous tinge : the quills and greater coverts 

 of the wings are brown, margined with rufous : 

 the tail is a little forked : the feathers are brown, 

 their margins tinged with rufous : the legs are 

 rather long in proportion, strong, and, with the 

 toes and claws, are of a yellowish brown colour : 

 the middle toe is closely connected to the outer 

 as far as the first joint.'^ 



The Starling, like many other birds, has been 

 found entirely of a white cast, with reddish legs 

 and beak : it likewise occurs in all the stages be- 

 tween that and the common appearance ; also in 

 having the ground colour cream-colour, spotted 

 with pure white : again it has been observed with 

 the upper parts of its plumage of a rufous ash, 

 inclining to yellow, the breast being slightly 

 spotted. 



This species constructs an artless nest in the 

 old deserted habitation of a Woodpecker, in the 

 hollow of a tree, naturally formed, or in old build- 

 ings, pigeon-houses, and such like situations; it is 



