20 



sive it will bring about a failure of nut crops. He has also 

 noticed these birds on grape vines and in trees wantonly tear- 

 ing off large pieces of leaves, as well as doing damage to various 

 fruit crops. Some observers assert that the starling also de- 

 stroys the buds of trees, but I have been unable to get definite 

 evidence on this point. 



Food of the Starling. 



Examination of the stomachs of 102 starlings collected mainly 

 in June, 1910, 41 of which were nestlings, seems to show that 

 the food of the starling in this country is similar to that taken 

 by it in Europe. The contents of these stomachs were exam- 

 ined by Professor F. E. L. Beal of the Biological Survey. It 

 must be remembered that the number of stomachs is com- 

 paratively small, and that they were taken in a single month, 

 and therefore no conclusions regarding the value of the starling 

 to agriculture can be drawn from their contents. Nevertheless, 

 a brief report of the result of the examination is of interest in 

 this connection. The proportion of animal food is very large 

 and consists chiefly of insects. Only 3 birds had taken earth- 

 worms, which composed 17.33 per cent of their stomach con- 

 tents; 18 birds had eaten both millipeds (or thousand legs) and 

 spiders; 22 had taken millipeds but no spiders, and IS had 

 eaten spiders but no millipeds. The average percentage of 

 millipeds in 22 stomachs was 39.89 per cent. 



Caterpillars represent the largest items of insect food. Fifty- 

 two birds, or more than half the number taken, had eaten cater- 

 pillars, which formed over 45 per cent of their stomach con- 

 tents. These appeared to be mainly, if not entirely, hairless 

 larvae, among which Geometrids, or inch worms, were recog- 

 nized. Probably a large percentage of these caterpillars were 

 Noctiiids, or cutworms, as I frequently recognized cutworms 

 in the bills of the parent birds when they were feeding their 

 young. Very few moths were noted in the stomachs, but some 

 tineid cocoons were found in one. Datana ministra, an apple 

 tree pest, was recognized in 1 stomach. 



More of the birds had taken beetles than had eaten cater- 

 pillars; but the beetles formed a smaller average percentage of 

 the food. Fourteen had taken Elaterids (commonly known as 



