No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 181 



now find them in the same localities in flocks estimated to 

 contain from 8,000 to 10,000. In the region about jSTew 

 York City, including Long Island, Staten Island and parts 

 of the Hudson River valley, also portions of New Jersey, 

 where the sparrow is more abundant than I had ever seen it 

 anywhere else in this country, there appeared to be at least 

 50 sparrows to every starling in June, 1910, but it is quite 

 probable that the ratio has now been very materially changed 

 in many places by the increase of the starling. 



The spread of the starling since 1900 may be seen by the 

 following statement. 



In the year 1900 it appeared at Flushing, L. L; East 

 Orange, N. J.; Chilmark, N. Y. (Scarborough-on-Hudson) ; 

 Norwalk, Stamford and New Haven, Conn. In 1901 the 

 first birds are recorded from Delaware, taken near Odessa. 

 In 1904 the starling had reached Rye, N. Y. ; and Trevose, 

 Bucks County, Pa. In 1905 it is recorded from Newburg, 

 N. Y. ; Elizabeth, N. J.; and West Philadelphia, Pa. In 

 1900, Danbury, Wethersfield and Hartford, Conn.; New 

 Brunswick, Princeton, Red Bank and Vincentown, N. J., 

 were included in its range. In 1907 it was seen in Stoning- 

 ton, Windsor, Bethel, Southington and New London, Conn. ; 

 Ui)per Montclair, Morristown and Tuckerton, N. J. ; and 

 Setauket, Syosset and Orient, L. I. In 1908 it was seen in 

 Millersville, Pa.; Bedford Hills, N. Y. ; Portland and New 

 Milford, Conn.; and Springfield, Mass. In 1909 it had 

 reached Rhinebeck and Pleasantville, N. Y., and one was 

 said to have been seen at Rochester, but none have been noted 

 there since. It was also met with at ]\Iilburn, N. J. ; Bristol, 

 Pa. ; and Chester, Conn. 



Since the above was written I have learned from ]\Ir. 

 Israel R. Sheldon of Providence, R. I., that starlings have 

 been breeding for " two or three years " at Silver Springs, 

 R. I., on the east shore of Narragansett Bay, about 8 miles 

 below Providence. They must have reached this point in 

 1908 or 1909, if not earlier. He states that they nest in the 

 peaks of the roofs of some cottages, behind some lattice work, 

 and that he has seen as manv as 8 at one time. As the noise 



