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Marquess of Tavistock —•“ Wilber force ”



of this terrace, in half-shade, were many beautiful camellias, now

almost over, some gay azaleas, and a large plantation of Rhododendron

Alice.


By this time the party were returning to the house, where further

delicious refreshments were handed round. Soon afterwards it was time

to bid farewell to our kind hosts, and we did so feeling very grateful,

and all agreed that we had had a most enjoyable day.



“WILBERFORCE ”


By The Marquess of Tavistock.


A few weeks ago a nestling Starling, only just beginning to feather,

was found on the floor of the outer part of the garage. How he came

there and how he escaped serious injury by a fall on the hard concrete

floor remains a mystery, but uninjured he was and, being adopted

by the cook, he soon lost his nervousness and opened at frequent

intervals a large mouth vociferously demanding nourishment. A day

or two later a brother, similarly unclothed, was found in the same odd

situation and joined Wilberforce in his box, being named by my son

“ Jarge ”. Jarge from the first lacked his brother’s confiding disposition,

and it was nearly two days before he would open his beak freely to

be fed.


Not long afterwards, when the young Starlings were fledging, they

were moved during the cook’s temporary absence to one of the heated

bird-rooms—probably too warm a situation for such hardy birds.


Adult Starlings are noted for their fondness for bathing, but I must

say I was surprised when Jarge and Wilberforce started to bathe even

before they were properly able to fly or had begun to feed themselves.

Jarge throve and soon began to pick up for himself, but on being put

back in the kitchen after his mistress’s return Wilberforce went wrong.

Whether the egg we were giving was too rich or whether he caught a

chill I do not know, but he got very thin and, though calling incessantly

as if hungry, he would hardly eat at all. A change of diet seemed to be

indicated and after a few experiments small quantities of worms



