84 
THE STARLING. 
never fail to join the passing flocks of rooks in their 
evening flight to their eastern roosting-plaee at Nos- 
tell Priory, and return with them after daybreak. 
The starlings retire to a dense plantation of spruce 
fir and beech trees, and in the morning come to the 
ivy tower to warble their wild notes, even when the 
frosts set in. These birds are now in their winter 
garb, which they assumed at the autumnal equinox, 
much duller, and of a more greyish white appearance, 
than that which they had in the summer. I cannot 
find that naturalists have noticed this change. 
The starling seems to be well aware of the peace- 
ful and inoflensive manners of the windhover. This 
hawk rears its young in a crow's old nest, within 
two hundred yards of the ivy tower. Still, the 
starlings betray no fears when the windhover passes 
to and fro ; but they become terribly agitated on 
the approach of the sparrowhawk. I often see this 
bold destroyer glide in lowly flight across the lake, 
and strike a starling and carry it off", amid the shrieks 
and uproar of the inhabitants of the tower and sy- 
camore trees. 
The starling shall always have a friend in me. I 
admire it for its fine shape and lovely plumage ; I 
protect it for its wild and varied song ; and I defend 
it for its innocence. 
