PAPERS OX BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE 185 



THE EUROPEAN STAELIXG IX ILLINOIS 

 Fbaxk Smith, ITxiveesity of Illixois 



The presence of a small flock of European starlings at 

 Urbana, Illinois, during the past winter, naturally leads 

 to a desire to know something of the characteristics of 

 this recent alien addition to our bird fauna. During the 

 two decades following their first successful introduction 

 into this country, in 1890, starlings did not extend their 

 range much more than 200 miles from New York City 

 where they Mere originally introduced. During the past 

 decade they have made much more rapid progress, and 

 have been reported from Nova Scotia, Canada, Ohio, Ala- 

 bama, Georgia, and intermediate states, and have become 

 abundant in various parts of New England, New York, 

 and Pennsylvania. They seem destined to become abund- 

 ant in the Mississippi Valley. 



They are very valuable aids in the destruction of a 

 great variety of irsect pests, but, when abundant, do ex- 

 tensive damage to fruit. They nest in holes and inter- 

 fere seriously with various kinds of birds using such 

 nesting places. Like the English sparrows, they are more 

 commonly to be found about the habitations of man. A 

 considerable part of the starling population is ordinarily 

 migratory, going southward for the winter. They need 

 and should receive no legislative protection. 



