STARIJNGS. 259

The Fish ("row can be distinguished from the eommon (‘row in life only by its call. its voice is eraeked and i‘eedy, and its notes re- semble those of a young,r eommon Crow. Instead of the loud, elear, open caw of adults of that speeies, it utte‘s a hoarser car, as if it tallied through its nose! The dillerenee is perhaps not. appreciable upon paper. but one who is familiar with their calls need never con- fuse. these. two birds in the field.

The Fish Crow, while not eonlined to the coast or even the vicinity of vater, is not found far inland.

FAMILY STURNleE. STARLINGS.

An Old-\Vorld family containing some two hundred species. It is represented in Ameriea only by the Starling, which has been recently introduced.

493. Stumus vulgaris Linn. STARLINU. «See “51.41) A‘IIIHS’IUHHI’T plunmgc.—.\letallie purplish or greenish; l'eathers ot'the upper parts all tipped with cream—bull spots, feathers ot'the under parts marked only on the sides; lower belly and under tail—eoverts, wings. and tail dark brownish gray. edged with cream-butt: bill yellow. 4141.. u'z'utyr [IZill/Ul‘I/t’rislllliltu'. but the upper parts heavily spotted with brownish eream—butt: the entire under parts heavily spotted with white; bill blaekish brown. l“. 8-50: “C. Felt): ’l‘.. 2'50.

[Bung/williuw:pe and northern Asia: aeeidental in Greenland: introduced in New York eitv.

Jest, of grasses; twigs. (ate, in a ereviee in a building:r or hollow tree. Egg/s, four to six, pale bluish, 1'20 x "4}.

This Old-“'orld species has been introduced in eastern North Amer- ica on several oeeasions. but only the last importation appears to have been successful. The birds included in this: lot, about sixty in number, were released in ('entral Park, New York city. in 1890, under the direc- tion of Mr. Eugene Sehielfelin. They seem to have left the park and have established themselves in various favorable places in the upper part of the eity. They have bred for three sueeessive years in the roof of the Museum of Natural History and at other points in the vicinity. In the suburbs about the northern end of the city they are frequently observed in (looks eonlainin‘gy as many as fifty individuals. These birds are resident throughout the year, and, as they have, already endured our most severe winters, we may doubtless regard the speeies as thoroughly naturalized. Starlings are walkers, not hoppers. and this fart, in eonneetion with the spotted plumage, and yellow bill of the adults, makes their identitieation an easy matter.