RED-WINGED STARLING. 
93 
taught to repeat short phrases, or whistle tunes with great 
exactness.” . 
The Red-winged Starling, fig. 1, is nine inches long, and 
fourteen inches in extent; the general colour is a glossy black, 
with the exception of the whole lesser wing coverts, the first or 
lower row of which is of a reddish cream colour, the rest a rich 
and splendid scarlet; legs and bill glossy brownish black; irides 
hazel; bill cylindrical above, compressed at the sides, straight 
running considerably up the forehead, where it is prominent, 
rounding and flattish towards the tip, though sharp pointed; 
tongue nearly as long as the bill, tapering and lacerated at the 
end ; tail rounded, the two middle feathers also somewhat short- 
er than those immediately adjoining. 
The female, fig. 2, is seven inches and a quarter in length, 
and twelve inches in extent; chin a pale reddish cream ; from 
the nostril over the eye, and from the lower mandible run two 
stripes of the same, speckled with black; from the posterior 
angle of the eye backwards, a streak of brownish black covers 
the auriculars; throat, and whole lower parts, thickly streaked 
with black and white, the latter inclining to cream on the breast; 
whole plumage above black, each feather bordered with pale 
brown, white or bay, giving the bird a very mottled appear- 
ance; lesser coverts the same; bill and legs as in the male. 
The young birds at first greatly resemble the female; but have 
the plumage more broadly skirted with brown. The red, early 
shows itself on the lesser wing-coverts of the males, at first 
pale, inclining to orange, and partially disposed. The brown 
continues to skirt the black plumage for a year or two, so that 
it is rare to find an old male altogether destitute of some remains 
of it; but the red is generally complete in breadth and brilliancy 
by the succeeding spring. The females are entirely destitute 
of that ornament. 
The flesh of these birds is but little esteemed, being in genC'^ 
ral black, dry and tough. Strings of them are, however, fre- 
quently seen exposed for sale in our markets. 
