22 BULLETIN 868, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



happens that the undigested remains of previous meals are recorded, 

 but from the rapidity of digestion observed in other passerine birds, 

 it seems highly probable that all particles of a starling's meal will 

 have either been digested or passed on to the intestines in the course 

 of a few hours. With this fact in mind, the significance of the fol- 

 lowing data may be appreciated: 



A juvenile bird secured in September had eaten 7 short-horned 

 grasshoppers (Acrididae), 1 field cricket (Oryllus), and no less than 47 

 small striped ground crickets (Nemobius) ; a second bird from the 

 same flock had taken 5 grasshoppers, 2 field crickets, and 47 small 

 striped ground crickets; and a third, 6 grasshoppers, 1 locustid (Xi- 

 phidium), 1 field cricket, and 42 small striped ground crickets. In 

 19 other stomachs the last-named insect numbered 20 or more 

 Even the larger acridids were at times taken in quantity: A starling 

 collected on September 2 had consumed 22, along with a locustid. 

 Another had taken 16 acridids, 3 locustids, and 2 field crickets. A 

 third ate 13 acridids, 3 locustids, 2 field crickets, and 1 small striped 

 ground cricket. 



Among the grasshoppers eaten by starlings were the red-legged 

 locust (Melanoplus femur-rubrum) , the green-striped locust (Chor- 

 topJiaga viridifasciata) , and a number of the small grouse locusts (Tet- 

 tiginse). Besides the field cricket (GryUus pennsylvanicus) and the 

 small striped ground cricket (Nemobius fasciatus) , a single specimen 

 of the mole cricket {Gryllotalpa borealis) was taken. Additional re- 

 lated species were also eaten by nestling starlings, a discussion of 

 whose relation to Orthoptera is presented on page 42. 



Lepidoptera (Mainly Caterpillars). 



Lepidopterous remains in the food of the starling are composed 

 almost entirely of the larvse, or caterpillars, the greater part being 

 consumed by nestlings (see p. 41). In the stomachs of adults these 

 insects constituted 6.04 per cent of the yearly food. May and June 

 are the months of greatest consumption, when such food forms 13.97 

 and 20.56 per cent, respectively, of the total. In September cater- 

 pillars formed less than 1 per cent (0.83) of the diet, while the remain- 

 ing months of the year are represented with quantities varying from 

 1.04 per cent to 5.69 per cent of the food. 



Of the 2,301 stomachs of adult starlings examined, 538 contained 

 the remains of caterpillars; 20 contained pupa?; and 30, adult Lepi- 

 doptera. In June, the height of the caterpillar season, over half 

 (115 of 205) of the adult birds used in this investigation had fed on 

 Lepidoptera in one form or another, while in the preceding month 

 81 of 133 had taken such food. 



Conspicuous among those birds which had fed extensively on 

 caterpillars is a series of 31 adults collected in the middle of June, 



