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



considered less distinctly beneficial than some of the other spiders 

 which secure many of the flying insect pests in their silken nets. 



MOLLUSKS. 



In contrast with the large numbers of injurious slugs secured by 

 the starling in some parts of its native home, particularly in England, 

 is the quantity and character of the molluscan food of the bird in 

 this country. Mollusks of various kinds, but mainly land snails, 

 formed less than 1 per cent (0.94) of its annual food. A large part 

 of this was secured in October, when 20 of the 108 birds examined 

 had fed on it. These 20 birds were collected along the Connecticut 

 shore, the snails eaten being mainly of the genus Melampus. In no 

 case was a land slug detected. 



MISCELLANEOUS ANIMAL FOOD. 



The remains of earthworms, fragments of a crab, a few beach fleas 

 (OrcJiestia) , sowbugs (Porcellio), bones of a salamander (in one 

 stomach) , and bits of fat, suet, or cartilage, secured apparently from 

 garbage dumps 'or at the winter feeding stations erected to attract 

 birds, fill out the varied animal diet of the starling. All these items 

 combined form only 1.32 per cent of the bird's yearly food, and most 

 of them are secured during the winter and early spring months. 

 That the bird's desire for animal food is in a measure satisfied as soon 

 as the winter's snow disappears in March is revealed by the quantity 

 of animal garbage consumed in that month, when it forms about 8 

 per cent of the diet. The main grievance against the starling for its 

 consumption of the foregoing food items is entertained by bird lovers 

 whose generous supplies of suet put out for native birds soon dis- 

 appear when discovered by a flock of starlings. 



VEGETABLE FOOD OF ADULTS. 



CHERRIES. 



One of the most frequent complaints against the starling is in 

 connection with its fondness for cherries. From the economic 

 standpoint, this is undoubtedly its most objectionable habit. The 

 cherry is cultivated on a commercial scale in only a part of the 

 starling's present range, but is grown as a home fruit, a tree or two 

 about the dooryard, throughout most of its habitat. This condition 

 renders the crop peculiarly susceptible to attack by robins and star- 

 lings, the two most abundant fruit-eating birds of the region. 



In 1915, on a farm near Closter, N. J., trees that should have pro- 

 duced $50 to $60 worth of cherries yielded only $10 worth, a loss 

 largely due to starlings. At Bristol, Conn., a flock of about 300 

 si arlings entirely stripped a single' tree of its 1916 crop in loss than 15 

 minutes. At Rowayton, Conn., six cherry trees were entirely stripped 



