Part I.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 85 



settled upon the trees. This began about three years ago, and 

 the number constantly increased. The noise and filth that they 

 made troubled the people who lived in that section, and the 

 mayor desired to know how the birds might be driven away. 

 It was believed that a large proportion of these birds were star- 

 lings. Some recommendations were made to the mayor, but 

 the method finally adopted was this: a thick pad, to protect the 

 bark from injury, was placed on each tree by a man from the 

 forestry department, after which the pad was struck hard with 

 a sledge hammer. This was continued night after night until 

 the birds left the place. 



Starling destroys Gypsy and Brown-tail Caterpillars. — Those 

 who regard the starling as a desirable bird will be interested to 

 know that it has been reported as an enemy to the gypsy moth 

 and the brown-tail moth. Mrs. J. M. Beaman of Westborough 

 viTites that her sons noted starlings flying across Hocomocko Pond 

 "with all they could carry of these gypsy caterpillars in their 

 mouths." Mr. Winthrop Packard says Mrs. Henry H. Seaver of 

 Templeton watched starlings bringing food to their young in a 

 hole in the side of the house near the kitchen window. She said 

 that they brought fifty brown-tail caterpillars in succession one 

 morning, and that she also saw them bring gypsy caterpillars. 

 This is hearsay testimony, but it accords with recorded habits 

 of this species in Germany. 



Its Distribution extending. — Many letters have been received 

 regarding the distribution of the starling, which show that hav- 

 ing extended over New York, New England and the middle 

 States it is now moving on the south. Miss Katherine P. 

 Stuart of Alexandria, Virginia, writes that during the winter of 

 1916-17 there were thousands of starhngs throughout that 

 region, and that in the spring of 1917 a pair was found nest- 

 ing not far from her home. This is the first pair reported 

 to me as nesting in Virginia. 



Pheasants. 

 Many complaints have been received from farmers regarding 

 the destruction of their crops by pheasants. Very serious dam- 

 age was done to sweet corn, as the pheasant digs up or pulls up 

 the early planted corn, making replanting necessary, and so 



