No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 257 



hairy species, such as the tent, the brown-tail or the gypsy 

 caterpillar, this habit has not yet come under my observation. 

 It is recorded, however, that in an invasion of the spruce 

 moth (Liparis nonacliaa), which occurred in Bavaria dur- 

 ing the years 1889-91, great flights of starlings collected 

 and fed on its caterpillars which are hairy but not so dis- 

 agreeably so as are those of the gypsy moth. In one locality 

 alone the number of starlings feeding on the caterpillars 

 was estimated at 10,000. At that time the attraction of 

 starlings to such centers became so great that gardeners felt 

 their absence seriously in different parts of the country.^ 



Mrs. H. J. Bradley of Chelsea writes that the starling is 

 the only remedy for the brown-tail moth. She states that 

 she was brought up on an English farm on the estate of the 

 Duke of Rutland. The starling, she says, is noted there for 

 its insect-eating propensities, destroying all kinds of slugs, 

 caterpillars, moths, etc. She asserts that the farmers there 

 look upon the starling as a blessing; that she has seen trees 

 swarming with caterpillars cleared of every one by these 

 birds, and that on the Duke of Bradford's estates there are 

 all kinds of fruit trees, and the starlings do not interfere 

 with the ripening of the fruit, but during the vacation sea- 

 son, when the fruit is ripe, boys are hired to make a noise 

 with great clappers to frighten the birds away. In other 

 words, care is taken to keep both the birds and the fruit. 

 Time will show whether the starling is to be of any service 

 here in ridding the country of the gypsy and brown-tail 

 moths. If it will undertake that office it will soon have many 

 friends, and much may be forgiven it. 



Atteacting the Purple Martin. 

 Any great increase in the number of starlings may make 

 it difficult for the martins to re-establish themselves, as many 

 starlings remain through the winter and are likely to take 

 the martin houses before the martins themselves come in the 

 spring. Those who have attempted to bring back the martins 

 in Massachusetts have had trouble enough already with one 



' Fiirst Hermann, " Protection of Woodlands." English edition translated by John Nisbet, 

 1893, p. 126. 



