Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/166

138 Anyone who observes our local birds must notice that the number of Starlings in any given neighbourhood suffers a great and sudden diminution some time in late autumn, and there is pretty good evidence that this is caused by emigration. The Rev. R.T. Kempthorne, who lived formerly in Cornwall, tells me that in that county the Starling is only a winter visitor, and rarely, if ever, breeds there. Mr. Howard Saunders, in his 'Manual,' says:—"Large flocks arrive on our east coasts in autumn, at which season there is a marked migration westward, localities in the interior of this country which have been frequented during the summer being then almost deserted, while great numbers visit the south of Ireland.... Throughout the greater part of the Mediterranean basin it is only a cold weather visitor, although at that season it occurs in almost incredible numbers." Towards the end of autumn enormous flocks of Starlings and Peewits appear on our western coasts, particularly in Merionethshire, Pembrokeshire, and Cornwall. We may conclude, therefore, that a large proportion of our inland Starlings leave us then, and go westwards. In reply to a letter of mine, Mr. Howard Saunders writes that the Starlings in the north of Europe, where in winter the ground is as hard as iron, go to the south.

(2) Starlings in towns, during winter, assimilate in their habits to Sparrows. They are hardly at all gregarious, but live on housetops, feeding on anything that falls in their way. It rarely happens that more than two or four are seen together, and I fancy that these are paired birds returning to their old nesting-places as a kind of head-quarters whence to forage around.

(3) Starlings in the country, during winter, behave quite differently; they go about in small flocks, sometimes alone, but more often in company with other birds that frequent fields, especially Rooks and Peewits. Around Shrewsbury, Peewits are very numerous, and it seems to me that there exists some bond of sympathy between them and Starlings, for we rarely see a flock of Peewits without its attendant train of Starlings. If the Peewits move into the next field, the Starlings do the same; while, if the former continue to wheel about in the air for some time, the Starlings wait till they settle, and then rejoin them. In severe weather Peewits leave the inland meadows and descend to the coasts in search of food, On Dec. 11th, 1899, a hard