THE STARLING. 
83 
sheltered from the storm ; and, on the other, when 
we look around us, and see how many old houses 
have been pulled down, where these birds found a 
refuge ; and when we reflect how modern luxury, 
and the still more baneful turf, have forced many a 
country squire to fell his aged oaks, his ash trees, 
and his sycamores, which afforded the starling a 
retreat; it will not require the eyes of Argus to 
enable naturalists to discern the true cause why 
such numbers of assembled starlings take their leave 
of us in early spring. 
This year, seven pairs of jackdaws, twenty-four 
pairs of starlings, four pairs of ringdoves, the barn 
owl, the blackbird, the robin, the redstart, the house 
sparrow, and chaffinch, have had their nests in 
the old ivy tower. The barn owl has had two 
broods ; and, while I am writing this_, there are half- 
fledged young ones in the nest. As far as I can 
learn, there has been no plundering of the eggs of 
this community, on the part of the starlings. 
Now that autumn has set in, the movements of 
this delightful assemblage of birds already warn us 
to prepare for winter's chilling blasts. The redstart 
is gone to Africa : the chaffinch has retired to the 
hawthorn hedges: the ringdoves, having lost half 
of their notes by the first week in October, became 
mute about ten days ago ; and have left the ivy 
tower, to join their congregated associates, which 
now chiefly feed in the turnip fields; and will re- 
turn no more to the ivy tower until the middle of 
February. The jackdaws are here, morning and 
evening, and often at noon ; and at nightfall they 
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