29 JUNE 1901, Page 18

THE STARLINGS

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1 Sin,—In your issue of June 15th "E. S. M." speaks of watch- ing starlings plunder sparrows' nests, and seeing them "fly away with the blue morsels in their beaks." Sparrows' eggs are not blue, but vary from cloudy grey to almost brown. The starling itself lays a blue egg. Were the birds robbing one another's nests, ignoring even the principle of "honour

among thieves " P—I am, Sir, &c., R. S. D.