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The Value of the Starling 



In the answers to Bird-Lore's call 

 for information concerning the habits of 

 the English Starling and its effect upon 

 native birds, there seems to be an absence 

 of positive observation of bad traits in these 

 birds. I have known them since they were 

 first found in Norwalk, as told by Mr. 

 George Ells, and own to no little pleasure 

 derived from watching them through the 

 year. Their cheery call gives pleasure to 

 many all winter, and to those who go 

 afield their flock-flights over the meadows 

 and marshes are most pleasing, and their 

 coming near to the houses to feed during 

 bad winter weather gives delight to more. 

 Sentiment aside, the question is, are they 

 going to prove beneficial or otherwise, in 

 their new home, and what is to be the 

 effect upon our native birds? A Flicker 

 built and raised her brood for several 

 years in a maple across from my home. 

 The Flickers came back the spring of 1905, 

 to find a pair of Starlings in possession of 

 the hole in their favorite stub, and a fight 

 ensued which lasted all day. The Star- 

 lings were finally vanquished, and the 

 Flicker drilled a new hole and raised her 

 brood. 



I know an old tree which always had 

 its pair of Bluebirds nesting in its cavities, 

 now the Starlings own the tree. I did not 

 see them dispossessed, but if the Flicker 

 only just held her own, what show can 

 the Bluebird or Downy Woodpecker have 

 against the Starling? 



A farmer who lives where these birds 

 are plentiful complains bitterly because 

 flocks settle in the top of his apple trees 

 and eat the apples and spoil many more; 

 and every one knows their fondness for 

 apples when they gather on any tree which 

 contains fruit in the winter. December 

 10, nearly two hundred of them were in 

 the apple trees near my home, eating 

 frozen apples, showing their fondness for 

 this diet. A Airs. Aiken, since deceased, 

 one who loved birds, told me that while 



living in Greenwich, Conn., last spring, 

 she watched the Starlings and one day, 

 hearing a commotion outside, looked out 

 in time to see a Starling flying from an 

 apple tree with a Robin's egg in its bill. 

 Of this she was positive. This is a serious 

 charge against him, and whether these 

 traits will grow and the bird, like the 

 English Sparrow, become an unwelcome 

 guest, remains to be seen. 



This much may be said for them: they 

 are industrious gleaners over the meadows 

 and must do much good, as any one must 

 know who has watched their journeying 

 back and forth, while feeding their young; 

 and, should they grow too numerous and 

 prove destructive, their size would make 

 them desirable for Starling pot-pie, by 

 the many who chafe under the restraint 

 put upon them by the laws protecting 

 Flickers, Meadowlarks and other like birds. 

 Their companionship and cheery whistle 

 during the winter makes us hope that they 

 will ever remain welcome. — Wilbur F. 

 Smith, South Norwalk, Conn. 



A Strange Friendship 



Some time ago I took home to my 

 children a Quail which had had one of 

 its wings injured, intending to let him go 

 in the spring, but in the meantime 'Fritz/ 

 (as the children named him), became so 

 attached to us all that he refused to fly 

 away when liberated. 



Our cat is a good mouser, but also a 

 great pet, and soon 'Woollie' and 'Fritz r 

 became bosom friends. The cat likes to 

 have 'Fritz' walk all over him, and they 

 eat and sleep together. 'Woollie,' on one 

 occasion, more than proved his friendship 

 toward the Quail. During the summer it 

 happened that we all went away and left 

 the two pets alone over -night. We had 

 left orders for the milkman to fill the cat's 

 dish in the yard with milk, which he did, 

 but, alas! poor 'Woollie' did not get a drop 

 of it, for somehow, during the excitement 

 of getting away, the cat had slipped into 



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