THE STARLING. 
287 
When my friend Mr. Bichard Langtry was proceeding from Bel- 
fast to London by sea some years ago, and again when returning 
thence, many starlings flew on board off Cornwall, and northwards 
during stormy weather in November and December. They, 
apparently from fatigue, permitted themselves to be seized by the 
sailors on the rigging, rather than attempt to escape by flight. 
These birds very rarely stop anywhere in the vicinity of Belfast 
on their southward migration ; but a low-lying tract of marshy 
meadows, when flooded by excessive rain, has occasionally tempted 
the latest comers to remain a few days, and till the end of Decem- 
ber, 1833, a flock of about 200, frequented a district at the base 
of the mountains, three miles from the town. In the low-lying 
marshy tracts westward of these mountains, towards Lough Neagh, 
and northward, towards Antrim and Templepatrick, they may be 
seen during winter ; until the middle of March, large flocks have 
come under my observation. About Belfast bay, starlings are 
rarely seen except at the migratory period ; but during frost and 
snow in January, 1823, 1 remarked them there. The only instance 
in which one of the shore-shooters before mentioned, met with 
these birds about the bay in winter, was some years ago during 
heavy snow after Christmas, when they appeared in immense 
flocks. So numerous were they, that the little grassy patches, 
rising above the ooze near the shore, could not contain them, and 
a portion of the flock kept hovering above their more fortunate 
brethren, who had found a resting-place. On such petty islets of 
green-sward, or on heaps of “sleech-grass” [Zoster a marina) only, 
did he ever see them alight ; — the sand or bare beach was always 
avoided. Like the snow bunting, the starling has however, of 
late, become more common in the neighbourhood of Belfast. 
During the greater part of the winter of 1844-45, a moderate 
sized flock frequented DargaAs Island, adjacent to the quays, and 
alluded to at p. 240. 
Although the numbers seen about Belfast are on their way 
southward, the extensive marshy tracts of the most northern 
counties (Antrim, Londonderry, and Donegal) display throughout 
