A familiar history of birds - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 Excerpt: ...one, or two, or three, may chance to appear towards evening, not with the merry note of spring, but uttering that monotonous, plaintive, long-drawn whistling cry, as cheerless as the cheerless season for which they seem to bid us to prepare. That these, and the few other stragglers occasionally occupying the same post, are our spring friends is most probable; for a lame Starling was observed for eight years to return to the same nest, and every observation we have made tends to prove that this is a general instinctive custom of, we believe, every bird whatever. Having thus given some report of our Starlings for the greater part of the year, we will endeavour to follow the main body for the remaining months, as yet unaccounted for. To do this effectually would be no easy matter, as we believe that they are partially migratory, i.e., quitting one part of the kingdom for another more fitted for their usual mode of life: nevertheless, enough remain within the sphere of our observation, and are to be met with in little flocks during the summer in favourite meadows, where food is plentiful, associating with their old friends, the Crows, Rooks, and Jackdaws. The abandonment of their breeding-place depends, of course, upon the season. In 1833, the mouth of May having been remarkably warm, it occurred on the 6th of June; but we have known it to be delayed till the second week in July; the whole of June having been very unseasonable and stormy. As winter approaches, however, they follow the example of some other birds, such as Larks, Buntings, &c, and congregate in larger quantities. Not far from the church we have mentioned, there is a considerable sheet of water, occupying nearly thirty acres, flanked and feathered on the eastern side by the old beech wood, alr...