STARLING 197 



feedings were by the male and 286 by the female. An average of one feeding eveiy 

 6.1 minutes was maintained for the whole period of observation, 31 hours and 10 

 minutes. The highest rate was recorded on the morning of May 18, which was 

 probably the seventh day of the nestlings' life. A feeding every 3.2 minutes was 

 maintained for 4 hours and 41 minutes. The lowest rate, once every 11.7 minutes, 

 occurred on May 25, the day before the young left the nest. * * * When it is 

 borne in mind that the parent birds would often bring in three or four cutworms, 

 earthworms, or grasshoppers, or an equal bulk of miscellaneous insect food, at a 

 single trip, one may gain an idea of the quantity of food required to develop a 

 brood of young starlings. 



In conclusion, they say as to the economic value of the starling: 

 "Most of the starling's food habits have been demonstrated to be 

 either beneficial to man or of a neutral character. Furthermore, it 

 has been found that the time the bird spends in destroying crops or 

 in molesting other birds is extremely short compared with the endless 

 hours it spends searching for insects or feeding on wild fruits. * * * 

 The individual farmer will be well rewarded by allowing a reasonable 

 number of starlings to conduct their nesting operations on the farm. 

 Later in the season a little vigilance will prevent these easily fright- 

 ened birds from exacting an imfair toll for services rendered." 



It is interesting that their investigation of the economic value of 

 the starling abroad was favorable. After presenting some of the 

 evidence, they say: "Summing up, it may be said that in Europe 

 the verdict on the starling is distinctly favorable ; of 35 works dealing 

 in a general way with the economic status of tbe bird, only 7 report 

 adversely. It is noteworthy, moreover, that the findings of all the 

 thorough and more scientific investigators have been in favor of the 

 species, although some authors admit that at present starlings are too 

 numerous in some localities." 



Starlings are generally seen feeding on the ground, where most of 

 their insect food is undoubtedly obtained, or resorting to trees and 

 bushes for their fruit and berries, but Kalmbach and Gabrielson 

 (1921) mention two other rather unusual methods of feeding, as 

 follows : 



Connected with the capture of Hymenoptera is one of the oddest activities 

 of the starling. While primarily terrestrial feeders, soon after the first of 

 August young starlings were seen catching insects on the wing, much after 

 the fashion of true flycatchers. From a perch on a dead upper limb the birds 

 would spy insects several yards away, fly out, and dexterously capture them. 

 Later, after the first of October, starlings changed their tactics, adopting 

 methods similar to those of swallows or martins in securing flying insects. 

 The best illustration of those activities was furnished in northern New Jersey 

 on a calm day above a warm, sunlit meadow. Here a dozen or more starlings 

 were sailing about and capturing insects at a height of about a hundred feet 

 from the ground. Under such conditions one not acquainted with the starling 

 would certainly have mistaken the birds for martins, for, combined with a 

 form which is quite similar, was the flight evolution, which imitated tbe 

 martins perfectly. 



