204 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



mend it as has been published in detail in our bulletins. We also recom- 

 mend the use of a 22-calibre gun loaded with dust shot. We have 

 before us a letter from a correspondent who says that the native 

 birds soon become accustomed to the slight noise is makes and do 

 not fear it, as they soon learn that they are not molested by it. We 

 also recommend trap nests for the English sparrows. This is one 

 of the best means of catching and destroying them. 



THE ENGLISH STARLING 



One of the introduced birds, against which we have sounded a 

 warning for the past nine or ten years, is the English Starling. This 

 bird is now becoming so abundant in the eastern part of this State 

 as to be a real nuisance. A large poultryman near Philadelphia 

 recently informed us that the starling is causing him considerable 

 loss by actually striking the hens on the head while they are feeding, 

 and driving them away, and then swooping down on their food and 

 devouring it in a hurry. The starling nests in boxes, and will ap- 

 propriate the boxes placed for martins and bluebirds. We have 

 described its habits as being intermediate between those of the 

 English sparrow and of the blackbird. It is dark in color marked 

 with brown and some irridescent or metallic gloss. It will soon 

 prove to be beyond control in this State if action is not taken for its 

 destruction. It is not protected by law, and our citizens must not 

 wait until it gets beyond their control. At the present time in the 

 State of Massachusetts there are provisions by which a person ob- 

 serving a starling anywhere can notify state officials, and have a 

 person sent to shoot it at once. It is not advisable for citizens of 

 our Commonwealth to wait for the State to do the actual work of 

 the suppression of these pests. They must take the information 

 which is here given them, and act upon it promptly. 



BIRD DAY IN THE SCHOOLS 



One of the best steps forward for educating the youth of our 

 country to interest them in birds, and popularize the study of birds 

 and bird preservation, was the establishment of Bird Day as an 

 official feature of public attention in our schools, and very appro- 

 priately Bird Bay is to be observed in connection with Arbor Day. 

 It is time for a great deal to be done toward the conservation of our 

 wild life, — not only the birds, but also the mammals and other forms 

 of undomesticated creatures. In this connection we have published 

 bulletins and circulars upon making bird boxes and bird preser- 

 vation. 



The last of our Bird Bulletins, which is the last in the series of 

 ten on bird life in Pennsylvania, was published in May, 1914, as 

 Nos. 3 and- 4 of Vol. IV o"^f the Bi-Monthly Bulletin of the Bureau 

 of Zoology. This contains a description of birds of several families of 

 the Order Passeres or Perching Birds, together with a discussion 

 of the habits, eggs and nests of each, and also gives special attention 

 to the subject of constructing nesting boxes. We have started a 

 plan of enlisting the co-operation of manual training teachers in 

 building bird boxes in connection with their schools. The most 

 extensive campaign in this State that has ever been undertaken was 

 thus started by this office. Eesults will doubtless be manifest next 

 year. 



