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 i 
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 jj 
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 ow^ls, 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^ 
