102 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Several attempts have been made to introduce this species into the 

 United States, but as yet it has hardly obtained a foothold. One of the 

 first importations was made by the Acclimatization Society of Cincin- 

 nati, Ohio, in the winter of 1S72-73. Abont 1877 a nnmber of star- 

 linus wore liberated in Central Park, New York, by the American 

 Acclimatization Society, and several similar experiments have since 

 been made, bnt only the last seems to have met with snccess. About 

 GO birds wei-e released in I8i)0. Some of them have bred for several 

 years, and, leaving the park, have established themselves in favorable 

 places in the neighboi-hood. In 1893 and 1894 flocks of as many as 50 

 individuals were repoi'ted to have been seen in the suburbs about the 

 northern end of the city, and late in 1898 a flock of about 30 took 

 up residence at Sing Sing. During the last two or three years a few 

 have been seen on Long Island, about Brooklyn. Thirty-five pairs 

 were liberated at Portland, Oregon, in 1889 and 1892, where they are 

 said l(» have done remarkably well, and as recently as June, 1898, 

 a few were seen about the suburbs. In the autumn of 1897 it 

 was reported that starlings Avere to be imported for the city park 

 at Allegheny, Pa., but as yet only a dozen or fifteen seem to have 

 been introduced, and these have been carefull}^ kept in captivity for 

 breeding, with the intention of ultimately stocking the park. 



Much has been said concerning the advantages of introducing the 

 starling into this country, but in spite of the many arguments brought 

 forward, the bird's character is not above suspicion, and its useful- 

 ness is St ill open to question. The fact seems to have been overlooked 

 that in other countries the starling has signally failed to fulfill the 

 ex])ectations concerning its usefulness. Certainly the experience of 

 Austi-alia and New Zealand offers little encouragement. It was intro- 

 duced in New Zealand in 1867, and as early as 1870 was reported as 

 ' ' becoming ver}^ numerous. " It seems to have increased very rapidly, 

 and in spite of its natural preference for insects, in its new home it has 

 adopted a fruit diet to such an extent as to become a great pest.^ In 

 South Austi-alia it was reported to be common in certain localities in 

 1894, and measures for its extei'mination were considered. In Victo- 

 ria, on the other hand, steps were taken in 1895 to promote its increase 

 in fruit and gi'ain growing districts, and this fact was used as an 

 argument in its favor by persons who were endeavoring to introduce 

 it into some of the other colonies. Western Australia has taken a 

 firm stand on the question, and Mr. R. Helms, biologist of the bureau 

 of agi'iculture of that colony, who opposed the proposed importation, 

 gives his reasons as follows: 



Had I been asked fifteen or twenty years ago what I had to say, I would prob- 

 ably have recommended their introdnction. But not so now. My experience has 



' It is also interesting to note that nearly twenty years ago an eminent English 

 ornithologist predicted that in foreign countries the starling would undoubtedly 

 uid in destroying native birds. (Newton in Yarrell's British Birds. 4th ed., II, 



1«7G-18»^.) 



