134 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE STARLING. 



Sib, — I am sending you by this mail a copy of the Bath Chronicle newspaper, dated 18th 

 Dec, 1890, which contains an article on a subject that I think may prove of some interest 

 to the members of your Association — I refer to that on page 6, the subject being a bird cal- 

 led the starling, very common all over Europe. I have no doubt it would prove a valuable 

 aid to farmers and gardeners on this side of the Atlantic, andl would suggest that a few 

 of these useful birds should be imported during the coming spring and turned loose in our 

 gardens and fields. Possibly your Association might feel disposed to take the initiative in 

 such an important matter by undertaking to procure a supply of these useful insect des- 

 troyers. You will observe that they differ in every respect from the sparrow, whose aid to 

 horticulturists is of a very doubtful character. 1 can remember our garden iu the suburbs 

 of London being much frequented by it in flocks during the autumn and winter months. 

 Being a hardy bird, I can see no reason why they should not be well adapted to all parts of 

 Canada, and remain with us during the whole season. My observation leads me to sup- 

 pose that this country is much in need of insectiverous birds, and qixite as much in winter, 

 as in summer. I shall be glad to see the subject inquired into by all interested in horti- 

 culture. 



Yours truly, 



E. D. Arnaud, Annapolis, N. S. 



Mr. T. Mclhvraith, of Hamilton, one of the leading ornitholigists in 

 Ontario, replies as folloivs : 



Sir, — In reply to your letter regarding the European Starling, I may say 

 that it is not found in this country except in captivity. 



Throughout Europe it is very generally distributed, and breeds in large num- 

 bers in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In Norway it is found as far 

 north as Tromso during the summer, and in Siberia it gets as high as 57° N. 

 lat. At the approach of cold weather the birds travel southward, vast flocks 

 spending the winter along the shores of the Mediterranean sea. 



A very decided increase has been observed in the number of these birds 

 lately, they being now common where twenty years ago they were not known at 

 all. Their food consists chiefly of worms, slugs, small molluscs, flies, beetles, 

 ticks and other insects, they are also known to take small fruit occasionally, and 

 have been accused of destroying the eggs and young of other birds, chiefly those of 

 the skylark. The latter habit, if tDue, is much to be regretted, but it has been 

 so often disputed that it cannot be practised to any great extent. I'he nest is 

 usually built in a hole in a tree or bank, and very often on a ledge under an 

 overhanging rock near the sea. They are very social in their habits, being found 

 in large flocks at all seasons of the year. In civilized life they rear their young 

 among the interstices of the Gothic arcitecture of church spires and monuments 

 of the large cities, and often create work for the tradesman by planting their un- 

 tidy nest in places intended to carry off the rain from the roofs of the houses. 



They do not rank high as song birds, but they make such a variety of noises, 

 with so much spirit, and a^ccompanied with so much amusing gesticulation, that 

 they are looked upon with general favor. They have great powers of mimicry, 

 and on this account are often kept as cage birds, when with careful teaching 

 many of them become quite accomplished. 



