STARLING 187 



mainly in the valleys, the birds have followed these routes in crossing 

 what mountain ranges they have encountered in their travels. 



Milton B, Trautman (1940) says of the increase at Buckeye Lake, 

 Ohio : "In 1922 no Starlings were recorded in the area. In 1929, 8,000 

 were noted in a day." 



Now that the starling has spread so rapidly southward and westward 

 and has increased so enormously in its northeastern range, it has 

 probably reached the limits of its abundance in some eastern sections 

 of the country, and we may expect to find its numbers falling off in 

 some places. Dr. Clarence Cottam (1943) has published some evidence 

 of this decline in the agricultural districts of western New York, based 

 on studies made there in 1932 and again in 1942. He writes: "For 

 about 15 years the Starling has been the most abundant bird in north- 

 eastern United States. Accurate counts of such an abundant, gregari- 

 ous, and active species are almost impossible. * * * Although no 

 exact figures can be given, it seems evident that peak numbers were 

 reached six or eight years ago, a small but noticeable decline taking 

 place each succeeding year." 



Eeferring to the western New York area, he concluded, after the 

 second study, that "it was doubtful whether, in the summer of 1942, 

 the area contained 25 per cent of the concentration found there in 1932. 



"A similar but less noticeable reduction of the enormous wintering 

 flocks is believed to have occurred in the District of Columbia region, 

 although the birds are still overabundant and constitute an annoyance 

 of major proportions in the Capital City. No careful study of popu- 

 lations has been made, but a number of competent ornithologists who 

 have been connected with the Starling problem for many years have 

 repeatedly expressed their belief that there has been an encouraging 

 reduction in the size and number of these flocks. The writer is of the 

 opinion that there has been a reduction of 15 to 25 per cent in the 

 population wintering in this section during the past eight years." 



Migration. — The European starling is largely sedentary in Great 

 Britain, though some emigrate in the fall and return in February and 

 March. But from late in September until early in November, "vast 

 numbers arrive from central and north Europe ; * * * some win- 

 ter and some pass south," according to Witherbj^'s Handbook (1919). 

 There seems to be a decided migratory movement, northeasterly in the 

 spring and southwesterly, on the European Continent, the birds which 

 breed in the Scandinavian countries and other parts of northern 

 Europe spending the winter in Spain, the other Mediterranean coun- 

 tries, and northern Africa. It is fair to assume that our birds 

 inherited from their European ancestors an instinct for this northeast- 

 southwest trend in migration. This tendency is shown in the way 

 the species has spread in this country, mainly in these two directions. 

 The southwestern spread has been more pronounced than any others ; 



