No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 187 



fill there, however, because of its fondness for the destructive 

 land snails, vs^hich are verj numerous in many regions. 



It cannot be expected that it will be thus beneficial here, 

 for we are not similarly afflicted in this country. The starling 

 can give no service here that cannot be equally well per- 

 formed by our own blackbirds, meadowlarks, bobolinks, spar- 

 rows and other birds, but it will be useful where these birds 

 are not numerous enough to keep the insect enemies of grass 

 lands in check. Already, however, the starling has begun 

 to show a capacity for harmfulness which may be expected 

 to become more prominent as its numbers increase. In the 

 breeding season small flocks go to the cherry trees, and as 

 they alight for a few minutes a shower of cherry stones will 

 be heard. Sometimes they strip a tree completely and then 

 go to another. In other cases they feed in a desultory way, 

 taking toll from all the trees in a neighborhood. 



Mr. William T. Davis of New Brighton, N. Y., describes 

 the destruction of pears by starlings which he observed on 

 Oct. 17, 1907, illustrating his statement by a reproduction 

 from a photograph of two of the ruined pears (" Bird-Lore," 

 November, December, 1907, p. 2G7). Fully one-third of 

 each pear was eaten. 



Many observers state that the starling eats apples' but this 

 habit appears thus far to be confined mainly to apples left 

 on the trees late in the fall, after the crop has been gathered. 

 Mr. W. S. Bogert of Leonia, N. Y., asserts that it pecks 

 open withered apples for the seeds. Nevertheless, it some- 

 times eats ripe fruit in the fall. Mr. Albert W. Honywill of 

 New Haven, Conn., has seen starlings eating apples, and 

 Mr. James D. Foot of Rye, N. Y., states that they will alight 

 in an apple orchard and take a peck or two at the finest fruit. 



Such flocks also sometimes descend on a strawberry bed 

 and considerably reduce the crop. 



In the fall, when they gather into large flocks of a thou- 

 sand or more, they are often very destructive to corn in the 

 ear. In Europe they feed to some extent on small grains, 

 but I have not seen any evidence of that here. In New Jer- 

 sey in the month of Juno thoy seemed to prefer the cherry 



