197 
The Battle of the Starlings. 
harvest season, in bigness not much exceeding a sparrow, which, made 
a foul spoil of the apples : their bills were thwarted crosswise at the 
end, and with these they would cut an apple in two at one snap, 
eating only the kernels. It was taken at first for a foreboden token, 
and much admired [wondered at], but soon after, notice grew that 
Gloucestershire, and other apple countries, have from them an over¬ 
familiar harm.” 
These birds are called by Willoughby, the ornitho¬ 
logist, shell-apples or crossbills. The statement that this 
bird divides an apple at a bite must be received with 
caution, as the crossbill hardly exceeds the bullfinch in 
size. Moreover, the mandibles of the beak, instead of 
being opposed, are curved right and left and cross each 
other. The apple that would admit of being divided at 
a single snap must have been a very small one. 
John Locke, in an account of a voyage to Jerusalem, 
1553, mentions a little bird which is possibly p i 
the highly prized Ortolan, still a favourite 
with epicures. 
“ They have also in this island [Cyprus] a certaine small bird 
much like unto a wagtaile in fethers and making, these are so extreme 
fat that you can perceive nothing els in all their bodies: these birds 
are now in season. They take a great quantitie of them, and they use to 
pickle them with vinegar, and salt, and to put them in pots and send 
them to Venice and other places of Italy for presents of great estimation. 
They say they send almost 1200 jarres or pots to Venice, besides those 
which are consumed in the island, which are a great number. These 
.are so plentiful that when there is no shipping, you may buy them for 
10 carchies, which coine are 4 to a Venetian soldo, which is peny 
farthing the dozen, and when there is store of shipping, 2 pence the 
•dozen, after that rate of their money.” {Hakluyt, vol. ii. p. 223.) 
The Starling, or Stare, was probably as common and 
.as widely distributed in early times as it is starling> 
now. At certain periods of the year starlings 
congregate in great numbers, and fly from one part of 
the country to another in large flocks. We are told by 
Walter Yonge, in his Diary , that in September, 1621— 
