334 J. B. Housden—The English Starling in Southern Texas


and in nooks of buildings, they crowd out a class of native birds that

managed to hold their own with the Sparrows. In the fall they gather

in large flocks, doing much damage to fruit; even in the breeding season

flocks gather in cherry orchards, when cherry-seeds are literally rained

down. What damage they will do to fruit in Texas is not yet known.


“ The bird is larger than Red-winged Blackbirds and smaller than

the Meadow Lark. At a few feet it is a dark bird, with light speckling

on the feather-tips. At close range there is a beautiful bronze sheen

about the head and breast. The tips of the feathers are pointed instead

of rounded, an important feature for identifying the bird. The main

objection to the appearance here of the Starling is that it will drive a

dozen native birds to the backwoods, where they cannot be enjoyed.”


My first visit to my brother’s Southern Texas home (a bungalow

on the border of the forest, no roads or paths ; after a storm the tract

was like a river). Our home had a gallery (verandah) on three sides of

the house. I found a seat on the gallery where I could overlook all

the gardens near, and a large tract of the Texas Blue Bonnet (the

national flower of Texas). All around was very beautiful and gorgeous

flowers everywhere ; bird life was very apparent.


Almost the first thing I noticed were some rough tree trunks

(carrying some telegraph wires); some pretty Red-headed Woodpeckers

had made their homes in the round holes they had made in these

tree-trunks ; also some small Tits were doing the same in other holes.


On one side of the house a pair of Humming Birds would wash

under the leaky tap of water and fly up to a wire just over my head to

preen and dry themselves, watching me with their small black eyes.

From the top of a post a beautiful Red Cardinal sang most of the day.

On another side of our bungalow grew a number of rose-trees, bearing

blue roses ; a pair of Humming Birds built their nest in one of these

trees. Sitting on our gallery one had the opportunity of watching many

birds. One afternoon I was interested in a flock of English Sparrows

in some tall trees mobbing, as I thought, an Owl. I found it was one of

the Goatsuckers (the Whip poor Will) that caused all the excitement

to the birds all around.


Four gate-posts with movable tops, in front of the house, I found

were occupied—the first by a pair of Long-billed Marsh Wrens, the



