Vol. XXI. 



1921 



COLLI XGE, The Sfarlw;/. 153 



considerably under the actual figure), and that each pair reared three 

 paii-s of youns, half of each sex, and that all lived tofjether with their 

 offspring. The progeny and parents in a single year would total 

 800,000. At the end of 191K this number would have increased to 

 3,200,000, the addition in 1919 would make the total 12,800,000, while 

 at the end of 1920 there would be over 51,000,000 birds. 



These figures are calculated on the basis of a single brood per year, 

 though in many parts of the country there are two broods. Even 

 allowing for a very high rate of mortality, it is clear that the annual 

 increase is enormous, and supplemented as it is by immigrants, the 

 number of these birds at present is far greater than the country can 

 naturally support. 



As the number of starlings has increased annually, a gradual 

 change in the nature of the food consumed by these birds has taken 

 place. There is fairly reasonable evidence to show that in the past 

 the bulk of the foocl consisted of insects and insect larvje, slugs, 

 snails, earthworms, millipedes, weed seeds, and wild fruits; in more 

 recent years this has been supplemented by cereals and cultivated 

 fruits and roots. Some writers have affirmed that once the fruit- 

 eating habit is acquired, they refuse the other available food. 



As a winter visitor large numbers come to the British Isles from 

 Northern and Central Europe, and others pay a passing visit when 

 en route between Continental summer and winter quarters. From 

 observation on the east coast of Scotland the writer can attest to 

 the arrival daily during September, 1915, of flocks of starlings from 

 one to five thousand. In 1916 the numbers were much smaller, but 

 increased again in 1917. During 1918 they outnumbered anything 

 seen previously. Small flocks were observed on 7th September, and 

 larger ones on the 8th. On the latter date one flock alone must 

 have contained something between 150,000 and 200,000 birds, and on 

 the 9th September a still larger flock was observed. This immigra- 

 tion of course occurs all along the eastern coast of England and Scot- 

 land, so that the actual number of arrivals must total many millions. 

 The Continental visitors are darker in colour than our residents, and 

 many of them I'emain here. 



The depredations of this bird are known only too well, and require 

 little further description. During the past two years the writer has 

 visited many farms investigating the damage caused to newly-sown 

 cereals. In some cases as much as 30 per cent, of the seed was eaten. 

 The loss due to re-sowing, w'here possible, is very great if the high 

 ■cost of labour is taken into consideration, but where this is not pos- 

 sible it is a direct and enormous loss to the cultivator and to the 

 nation. Again, in fruit growing districts the depredations of this 

 bird become more marked annually, cherries, strawberries, currants, 

 plums of all kinds, and more recently, apples and pears suffer. One 

 grower states: "Only one bii'd is dangerous to my crops — that is, the 

 starling. He threatens the utter destruction of our strawberry, rasp- 

 berry, cherry, gooseberry, currant, and some other crops. These birds 

 are said to come here from the marshes as soon as the young are 

 hatched, and they come in millions — in flocks that darken the sky." 

 Another grower writes: "During recent years this bird has increased 

 to such an alarming extent as to be a plague. They come in flocks 

 of tens of thousands, and whilst here commit an enormous amount 

 of damage which must far outweigh any benefits they confer. Each 

 year they seem to grow more plentiful. I am in favour of a very 

 drastic reduction for some time to come." 



In order to appreciate clearly the true economic position of the 

 starling, it is necessai-y that the stomach contents of a large series 

 of individuals should be examined, from various districts, and dur- 

 ing each month of the year. Such an examination has been made, 

 and as a result we find that of the total bulk of food consumed in 

 a year 51 per cent, consists of animal matter and 49 per cent, of 

 vegetable matter (see Fig. 1). Examined in further detail we find 



