THE ENTtLISH srARROW AND THE STARLING. ir)o 



cherries, apples, pears, figs, grapes, and strawberries, and thai 

 in several districts vine and fruit-growing will have to be given 

 up unless some radical steps are taken. He also says that 

 native insectivorous birds are driven from their nesting-places 

 in hollow trees by swarnis of starlings.^ 



It thus appears that the favorable traits of the starling in 

 this country are likely to be outweighed by its pernicious 

 traits. The trend of opinion is towards putting it on the list 

 of unprotected birds. The shipment of starlings from one 

 State to another is forbidden by an act of Congress. Never- 

 theless, they seem destined to increase and spread gradually 

 over a large part of the United States. If, eventually, they 

 become pests, they can be best combated during the breeding 

 season. Then not only can they be killed and their nests 

 destroyed at the usual breeding-places, but they can be en- 

 ticed to their destruction by nest-box traps, built especially 

 for them, as has been done for English sparrows.2 



^Forest and Stream, vol. Ixiv, 1905, p. 313. 



2 For a description of nest-box traps see Farmers' Bulletin 493, U. S. 

 Dept. Agriculture, 



