11 



forty miles of Long Island, up the Hudson River to Ossining and 

 beyond, through much of eastern New Jersey and into Pennsyl- 

 vania and Delaware. 



In June, 1910, I was able, through the co-operation of the 

 Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of 

 Agriculture, to make an investigation of the distribution, food 

 and habits of the starling in America. Several trips were made 

 to Springfield, Massachusetts; Connecticut; Long Island; New 

 Jersey, and one to Pennsylvania. A large correspondence was 

 begun with people in all the States in which the starling has 

 been found. One hundred and two starlings were collected, and 

 the contents of their stomachs were examined by Professor F. 

 E. L. Beal of the Biological Survey. On this investigation the 

 present report is based. 



It is important to compare what is known of the status and 

 habits of the starling in this country with its history and habits 

 in Europe, for by such a comparison we may be able to forecast 

 its probable relation to other birds and to agriculture in Massa- 

 chusetts. 



Its Increase and Dissemination. 

 When the brief period that has elapsed since the introduc- 

 tion of the starling (twenty-five years) and the small number 

 introduced are considered, it must be conceded that the increase 

 and the dissemination of the species have been rapid. It has 

 not increased or spread so rapidly as did the house sparrow 

 (commonly called English sparrow), but the sparrow's numbers 

 sprang not from one importation but from many, that took 

 place at widely scattered localities during a series of years, — 

 something that has been prevented in the case of the starling. 

 Its increase has been rapid in most of the region now occupied 

 by it, where it is in many places second in numbers only to the 

 sparrow and the robin. The testimony of 110 correspondents 

 whose residences are scattered over five States shows that the 

 starling is increasing fast. All assert as a result of their ob- 

 servation that it is increasing, and most of them say that its 

 accession is rapid. Only 18 have seen no increase in their 

 localities or find the increase slow. They, however, are resi- 

 dent mainly near where the starling was first introduced, and 

 where it has nearly reached the limit of food supply or nest- 



