The Starling. 



187 



the body. The belly and sides are velvety black, interspersed 

 with a shading of bright emerald green, and spotted with 

 white. The wings are blackish brown, and are elegantly 

 lined or pencilled at the margins with rich deep golden 

 brown. The lower wing coverts are deep bronze brown, 

 shaded with lustrous green, and have broad margins of lovely 

 golden partridge brown. The shanks and feet are brownish 

 flesh colour, and the thighs greyish brown. The plumage of 

 these birds is much more brilliant in summer than in winter, 

 and they only attain their full rich beauty at the age of 

 two years. At three they are in their most perfect garb. 



As in other varieties of wild birds, there are pied and albino 

 specimens to be met with ; and some very old birds, kept 

 long in confinement, without a proper change of diet, and neces- 

 sary attention, lose much of their singular beauty, and become 

 blackish grey. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Starling, like the House Spar- 

 row, find a home in many lands, and may be said to be an 

 inhabitant of the greater part of the Old World. It is partly 

 indigenous and partly migratory, a great many remaining 

 with us all the year round ; and although pretty generally 

 distributed throughout the length and breadth of Great 

 Britain, it is to some extent localised. These birds are un- 

 questionably valuable to farmers and gardeners, as they destroy 

 all manner of grubs and insects, and are most assiduous in 

 their labours ; unfortunately, like Blackbirds, they have a 

 penchant for ripe fruit when in season, but what they 

 appropriate is meritoriously deserved. They will, likewise, 

 when driven to it by hunger, attack corn, especially oats, 

 but not to any alarming extent. They are most peaceable, 

 well-disposed birds, and live on excellent terms with their 

 neighbours. Large numbers of them migrate annually, and 

 travel southwards ; they leave in October, and, in mild, open 

 seasons, as late as the early part of November ; they return 

 again, as a rule, early in March. They are gregarious in their 

 habits, and travel together in large flocks, more particularly as 

 the migratory season approaches. They have a strong, direct 

 flight, moving rapidly, and making a peculiar oscillating move- 

 ment with their wings as they fly. Those that remain in this 

 country keep together in companies, varying in numbers, in 

 search of food. They visit meadows and gardens chiefly, 



