90 RED-WINGED STARLING. 



states of New Jersey and Delaware, they continue long after 

 that period. 



Such are the general manners and character of the Red-wing- 

 ed Starling; but there remain some facts to be mentioned, no 

 less authentic, and well deserving the consideration of its ene- 

 mies more especially of those whose detestation of this species 

 would stop at nothing short of total extirpation. 



It has been already stated that they arrive in Pennsylvania 

 late in March. Their general food at this season, as well as 

 during the early part of summer, (for the Crows and Purple 

 Grakles are the principal pests in planting time,) consists of 

 grub-worms, caterpillars, and various other larvae, the silent 

 but deadly enemies of all vegetation, and whose secret and in- 

 sidious attacks are more to be dreaded by the husbandman than 

 the combined forces of the whole feathered tribes together. For 

 these vermin the Starlings search with great diligence; in the 

 ground, at the roots of plants, in orchards, and meadows, as well 

 as among buds, leaves and blossoms; and from their known vo- 

 racity the multitudes of these insects which they destroy must 

 be immense. Let me illustrate this by a short computation. If 

 we suppose each bird, on an average, to devour fifty of these 

 larvae in a day, (a very moderate allowance,) a single pair in 

 four months, the usual time such food is sought after, will con- 

 sume upwards of twelve thousand. It is believed, that not less 

 than a million pair of these birds are distributed over the whole 

 extent of the United States in summer; whose food being nearly 

 the same, would swell the amount of vermin destroyed to twelve 

 thousand millions. But the number of young birds may be 

 fairly estimated at double that of their parents, and as these are 

 constantly fed on larvae for at least three weeks, making only 

 the same allowance for them as for the old ones, their share 

 would amount to four thousand two hundred millions; making a 

 grand total of sixteen thousand two hundred millions of noxious 

 insects destroyed in the space of four months by this single 

 species! The combined ravages of such a hideous host of vermin 

 would be sufficient to spread famine and desolation over a wide 



