The Audubon Societies 267 



were beaten; but, the moment the Martin started to enter the bird-house, he 

 would leap back and begin the conflict anew. After doing this about four 

 times, the Martin finally became exasperated, and turned on the Sparrow in 

 a fury. He was not content with letting him fly a Httle distance, but followed 

 him, gave him a good thrashing, and then came back and entered the box in 

 peace. — Alexander Sprant (Aged 13 years). 60 Meeting Street, Charleston^ 

 S. C. 



[This observation is interesting for the reason that the P^nglish Sparrow has now 

 been settled in this country long enough to be regarded as a regular inhabitant, and 

 not a newcomer. It is quite possible that not only the ^lartin described above, but 

 many other birds whom the English Sparrow annoys, are becoming able to hold their 

 own against the intruder. More observations along this line would be of value. — A. H. 

 W.] 



FROM ADULT OBSERVERS 

 The Starling at Huntington, L. I. 



My first record of the European Starling, here, is on Feb. 4, 1907. I then 

 saw a flock of six or eight in a tree, but was not able to watch them. Although 

 I was in Huntington occasionally through the winter and spring, and during 

 the whole of July and August, I did not see them again that year, and my next 

 record was on March 31, 1908. By 1910, the Starling was S3 common that 

 people in different parts of the village were inquiring about the name of the 

 "new black-bird" which stayed around all winter. This summer, I have heard 

 of a flock of one hundred or more being seen on the hill between Cold Spring 

 Harbor and Huntington. On May 19, 191 1, I saw a pair carrying food into a 

 hole in a bracket under the eaves of a dwelling-house, their coming being 

 welcomed loudly from within the hole. 



During the past week, the Starlings have been eating wild black cherries 

 in trees near the house. At one time, I saw two Starlings, three Robins and a 

 Flicker in one tree, all appearing to be happily occupied, with no thought of 

 molesting one another. In October, 1910, both Robins and Starlings fed in a 

 dogwood tree as long as there were berries on it. I saw only one quarrel there, 

 and in that the Robins came out ahead, the Starlings lea\dng the tree. 



The calls of the Starlings are many and varied. Besides several musical 

 whistles, it gives different sorts of squeaks and squawks, some of which may be 

 imitated by rubbing a wet cork on a bottle. From the row of wild cherry 

 trees, there came, on August 7, a whistle very like that of Bob-white, which 

 I heard three times. 



There have been no Bob-whites in this neighborhood for years, and the 

 only birds I could find in the trees, then, were Robins, Flickers, Orioles, Spar- 

 rows, Cedar Waxwings and Starlings. Which one of these could give that 

 whistle, if not the Starling? — Charlotte E. Lee (Huntington, L. I., August 

 14, 1911). 



