RED-WINGED STARLING. 
199 
something in the manner of the cow bunting. These 
notes, though not remarkably various, are very peculiar. 
The most common one resembles the syllables conk- 
quer-ree ; others, the shrill sounds produced by filing 
a saw : some are more guttural ; and others remark- 
ably clear. The usual note of both male and female is 
a single chuck . Instances have been produced where 
they have been taught to articulate several words dis- 
tinctly ; and, contrary to what is observed of many 
birds, the male loses little of the brilliancy of his 
plumage by confinement. 
A very remarkable trait of this bird is, the great dif- 
ference of size between the male and female ; the 
former being nearly two inches longer than the latter, 
and of proportionate magnitude. They are known by 
various names in the different States of the Union ; 
such as the swamp blackbird , marsh blackbird , red- 
winged blackbird, corn , or maize thief, starling , &c. 
Many of them have been carried from this to different 
parts of Europe ; and Edwards relates, that one of them, 
which had, no doubt, escaped from a cage, was shot in 
the neighbourhood of London ; and, on being opened, 
its stomach was found to be filled with grub- worms, 
caterpillars, and beetles ; which Buffon seems to wonder 
at, as, “ in their own country,” he observes, “ they feed 
exclusively on grain and maize,” 
Hitherto this species has been generally classed by 
naturalists with the orioles. By a careful comparison, 
however, of its bill with those of that tribe, the simi- 
larity is by no means sufficient to justify this arrange- 
ment ; and its manners are altogether different. I can 
find no genus to which it makes so near an approach, 
both in the structure of the bill and in food, flight, and 
manners, as those of the stare ; with which, following 
my judicious friend Mr Bartram, I have accordingly 
placed it. To the European, the perusal of the fore- 
going pages will be sufficient to satisfy him of their 
similarity of manner. For the satisfaction of those 
who are unacquainted with the common starling of 
Europe, I shall select a few sketches of its character, 
