634 
A YEAR WITH THE BIRDS 
This is the bird that flocks in early autumn and, settling 
down to feed on lawn or meadow, makes a noise as if all the 
door-hinges in the country were rusty and creaking. Then, 
suddenly taking alarm, the flock will rise and, alighting on 
some near-by tree, make it look as if a black cloud had fallen 
from the sky upon it. 
Some people think it is a bad bird for the agriculturist, but 
Mr. Beal says : “ It is evident that a bird so large and so 
abundant may exercise an important influence upon the agri- 
cultural welfare of the country it inhabits. The Crow Black- 
bird has been accused of many sins, such as stealing grain and 
fruit and robbing the nests of other birds ; but the farmers 
do not undertake any war of extermination against it, and, 
for the most part, allow it to nest about the premises undis- 
turbed. An examination of 2,258 stomachs showed that nearly 
one-third of its food consists of insects, of which the greater 
part are injurious.” 
Family Sturnidae: Old World Starlings 
The Common Starling: Sturnus magnus. R. 
Length: 8.5 inches. 
Male and Female: Black plumage shot with metallic green and blue 
lights. In full plumage upper feathers edged with buff, giving a 
speckled appearance, which disappears as the feathers are worn 
down, leaving the winter plumage plain and dull. Yellow bill in 
summer, in winter brown. 
Note: A sharp flock call and a clear and rather musical two-syllable 
falling whistle. 
Nest: Behind blinds in unoccupied buildings, in vine-covered nooks in 
church towers ; also in bushes. 
Eggs: 4-7, greenish blue. 
This bird is a foreigner, imported to New York city some 
fourteen years ago, we are beginning to fear not wisely, for the 
birds are rather quarrelsome and, being larger than the Eng- 
lish Sparrow, though not so hardy, are able to wage war upon 
birds like Robins, etc. 
The first birds, less than a hundred in number, were set 
free in Central Park, New York city. Now these have in- 
creased to numerous flocks that in Connecticut have gone as 
far east as New Haven, and here in Fairfield and several vil- 
lages near-by are acclimated and quite at home, though the 
bitter and lasting cold of the winter of 1903-4 thinned them 
out considerably. 
