Starling
in ornithology, a popular name for any individual of the genus Sturnus, sometimes extended to the whole family but specifically applied to S. vulgaris, the common starling, abundant in most parts of the continent of Europe, frequently visiting Northern Africa in its winter migrations. The male is about eight inches long, general color of the plumage black, glossed with blue and purple, the feathers, except those of the head and fore neck, having a triangular white spot on the tip. The female is very similar, but has the feathers tipped with broader spots, those on the upper parts being light brown. The eggs are from 4 to 6 in number, light blue in color and are deposited in some hole or crevice. Starlings feed on snails, worms, and insects; they are gregarious, uniting in large flocks. They become exceedingly familiar in confinement, and display great imitative powers.
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Starosts
in Poland, those noblemen who were reckoned among the dignitaries 58 STAR-SPANGLED BANNER, THE of the land, and who received a castle or landed estate from the crown domains. Some of the starosts had civil and criminal jurisdiction over a certain district, others mere merely enjoyed the revenues of the starosty.
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Starr
FRANCES (GRANT), an American actress, born at Oneonta, N. Y., in 1886. She was educated in the public schools of Albany and made her first appearance on the stage in that city in 1901. She joined the Murray Stock Co. of New York City while playing there attracted the attention of David Belasco, who undertook her theatrical training. Under his direction she appeared as leading lady in "The Music Master"; "The Easiest Way," "The Secret," "Little Lady in Blue" and "Tiger, Tiger," the latter in 1919-20.
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Stars
HEAT OF. The heat of nine great stars-namely, Rigel, Vega, Sirius, Procyon, Capella, Aldebaran, Betelguese, Alpha Herculis, Beta Pegasi-was analyzed from the Mount Wilson Observatory, by Dr. Charles G. Abbot of the Smithsonian Institution. He is the same scientist who previously had succeeded in measuring the heat of the sun. In making his measurements he uses the Nichols radiometer, a delicate instrument worked by heat. The light from the stars is broken up by the spectroscope into their respective spectra and the heat in the different parts of these can then be measured. The stars measured will present all of the principal types, from blue to red. Some of the expectations-such as, for instance, that the heat from stars of the same color type would be greatest in the same parts of the spectra-were not realized and surprising differences were found. Although the apparatus used detects differences of a hundred millionth of a degree of heat, astronomers claim that this is not sufficient but that it must be sharpened to a thousand millionth, and to a must be examined. Most of the big stars measured were found to be at least twice as hot as the sun. The principal sig. nificance of these new measurements is that they have increased greatly our knowledge of the physical nature of stars.
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Stars and Bars
the flag of the Confederate States of America. It was merely an adaptation of the stars and stripes, having 3 "alternate stripes red and white," instead of 13 such stripes, and a circle of white stars on a blue field, corresponding to the number of States of the confederacy.
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State
a whole people united into a body politic; a civil and self-governing community. Also, any body of men constituting a community of a particular character in virtue of certain political privileges, who partake either directly or by representation in the government of their country; an estate; as, The Lords spiritual and temporal and the Commons are the states (or estates) of the realm in Great Britain. In the plural, the legislative body in the island of Jersey, England. It consists of 55 persons, including the bailiff of the island, who is ex officio president. The lieutenant-governor has a power of veto, and the States may not be convened without his consent. Guernsey has an analogous body, the Deliberative States, and a more popular assembly, the Elective States. In both islands the States deal only with questions of internal administration. Also, one of the commonwealths or bodies politic which together go to compose a Federal republic, and which stand in certain specified relations with the central or national government, and, as regards internal affairs, are more or less independent; as, the State of Pennsylvania.
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Staten Island
an island five miles south-west of New York City from which it is separated by New York Bay. The island formerly constituted Richmond County. It is now a part of New York City. Area, fifty-eight square miles. Population, about 70,000. There are over 600 manufacturing establishments on the islands as well as important residential suburbs. Steam ferries connect Staten Island with the Jersey shore, Long Island , and New York City proper.
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Staten Island
an island off the S. E. coast of Tierra del Fuego, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Le Maire. STATE MILITIA. See MILITARY OR- GANIZATION, UNITED STATES; MILITIA, STATE.
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Staten Island
an island comprising Richmond co., N. Y.; bounded on the N. by the Kill von Kull, on the E. by New York Bay and the Narrows, on the S. S. E. by y Raritan Bay and the Lower Bay, and on the W. by Staten Island Bay; is about 13 miles long with an extreme width of 8 miles; area, 58½ square miles. It is generally very hilly. It contains the towns of Castleton, Middletown, Northfield, Southfield, and Westfield, in which are the villages of Tottenville, Port Richmond, Linoleumville, Edgewater, Stapleton, Tompkinsville, and New Brighton. At the Narrows on the E. shore are Fort Wadsworth and a line of water batteries; on the Lower Bay are Midland Beach and South Beach, summer resorts; and on the N. shore is the Sailors' Snug Harbor, a home for infirm and aged seamen. There are excellent ferry and railroad facilities. Pop. (1910) 85,969; (1920) 116,531.,
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Stater
in numismatics, the name of certain coins current in ancient Greece and Macedonia. The gold stater of Athens was worth about $3.89; the silver stater about 86 cents, and the Macedonian gold stater $5.11.
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