ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE STARLING. 47 



still attended the bluebirds was disclosed one morning when the male 

 was found dead beneath the nest and the eggs were deserted by the 

 female. There was no evidence, however, to connect the starlings 

 with the final disaster. Additional reliable evidence of bluebirds 

 being driven out by starlings was secured at Norwalk, Wilton, and 

 West Cornwall, Conn.; Groton, Mass.; Medford, Long Island, N. Y.; 

 and Adelphia, N. J. 



In contrast with such actions was the situation presented in an 

 orchard at Norfolk, Conn., not far from the scene just described. 

 Here a pair of bluebirds and two pairs of starlings conducted their 

 family affairs peaceably in close proximity to each other. At Hart- 

 ford, Conn., a pair of bluebirds and three pairs of starlings nested in 

 natural cavities in apple trees located in two adjacent city lots. The 

 owner of the property said he had watched the birds closely and did 

 not see any evidence of antagonism between the species. 



In contests with the nicker the starling frequently makes up in 

 numbers what disadvantage it may have in size. Typical of such 

 combats was the one observed on May 9, at Hartford, Conn., where a 

 group of starlings and a nicker were in controversy over a newly 

 excavated nest. The number of starlings varied, but as many as 6 

 were noted at one time. Attention was first attracted to the dispute 

 by a number of starlings in close proximity to the hole and by the 

 sounds of a tussle within. Presently a flicker came out dragging a 

 starling after him. The starling continued the battle outside long 

 enough to allow one of its comrades to slip into the nest. Of course 

 the flicker had to repeat the entire performance. He did this for 

 about half an hour, when he gave up, leaving the starlings in posses- 

 sion of the nest. 



On June 19, at Port Chester, N. Y., a controversy was observed be- 

 tween a pair of starlings and a pair of flickers, whose brood was about 

 to leave the nest, which was about 30 feet from the ground and within 

 25 feet of a house. When first observed one of the starlings was 

 perched a few feet from the nest > in the entrance to which was one of 

 the flickers. Whenever this flicker relaxed its vigilance for a moment 

 one of the starlings would immediately make a dart for the nest 

 opening. A scuffle would ensue in which both flicker and starling 

 would come tumbling to the ground and a few feathers would fly. In 

 the meantime the other flicker and starling would take up the wait- 

 ing game in the tree top. This condition had prevailed for several 

 days, and after a day or two more of continuous conflict the flicker 

 succeeded in bringing forth its brood unharmed. The nest cavity 

 was not then taken over by the starlings. 



At Gwynedd Valley, Pa., an observer told of the killing of two 

 broods of young flickers hatched in a tree in his dooryard. He had 

 prevented the starlings from nesting in this cavity by repeated shoot- 



