ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE STARLING. 23 



near Flemington, N. J. Only one had failed to eat such food, which 

 on the average formed 27.8 per cent of the bulk. In point of num- 

 bers, a starling collected at New Haven, Conn., takes the honors. In 

 this bird's stomach were the remains of no less than 40 caterpillars, 

 which formed 98 per cent of the food. 



The terrestrial feeding habits of the starling limit the variety of 

 caterpillars eaten, but this very restriction has permitted the bird to 

 distinguish itself as a most effective enemy of that notorious pest, 

 the cutworm. While caterpillar remains are not the most satis- 

 factory items for identification in stomach contents and only occa- 

 sionally are in condition for specific determination, the material in 

 fully two-thirds of the starling stomachs could be referred with 'a 

 fair degree of certainty to the family Noctuidse. 



Corroborative of what stomach examination has revealed is a bit 

 of testimony secured from field observations on a farm at Adelphia, 

 N. J., where starlings were observed doing exceptionally good work 

 on the army worm. A rather heavy infestation of this insect had 

 resulted in considerable damage, when a large flock of juvenile star- 

 lings started to feed regularly in the infested area ; within a few days 

 the worms had practically disappeared from those fields. 



That other terrestrial caterpillars may find an enemy in the starling 

 is recorded by an observer near Bloomfield, N. J., who, in the fall of 

 1915, witnessed starlings feeding on the larvae of the cabbage butterfly. 



In only a few instances were hairy or spiny caterpillars found in 

 stomachs of adults. Among these were the American tent cater- 

 pillar (Malacosoma americana), an arctiid, and a "silver spot" 

 (Argynnis cybele). One reason for not finding more spiny or hairy 

 caterpillars may be explained by an incident observed at Norwalk, 

 Conn., where a starling was seen to eat a tent caterpillar much after 

 the fashion of the Baltimore oriole, by forcing out the soft parts and 

 leaving the hairy skin hanging on the limb. 



Miscellaneous Insects. 



Of other orders of insects from which starlings secure part of their 

 sustenance, Hymenoptera, including bees, wasps, and ants, is best 

 represented. This is of little importance, however, as the average 

 monthly percentage is only 1.75, a great part of which is composed 

 of ants. Most of this food is consumed during the summer, the 

 monthly percentages from April to October inclusive being as follows : 

 1.11, 3.33, 3.41, 2.56, 2.14, 2.49, and 3.79. None of the late fall, 

 winter, or early spring months were represented by as much as 1 

 per cent. 



Connected with the capture of Hymenoptera is one of the oddest 

 activities of the starling. While primarily terrestrial feeders, soon 

 after the first of August young starlings were seen catching insects on 



