

170 







[Proc. B.N.F.C., 



FOOD-STUFF. 



STARLING. 



No. of times taken 



during the year. 



Per 

 cent. 



ROOK. 



No. of times taken 

 during the year. 



Per 

 cent. 



Grub 



Insect 



30 I l8 2 



152 i 



70 





ll6 



23 



Grain 



... 58 



22 





290 



58 



Miscellaneous 



21 



8 





60 



E2 



Roots 



O 









36 



7 



Total 261 100 502 100 



This arrangement of food stuffs is to all intents and purposes 

 that for Rooks. The difference is that the Starling uses much 

 less grain, but a greater amount of insect. This point is strongly 

 brought out in the above Table which shows the number of times 

 the food stuffs have been used. 



Speaking roughly, three-fourths of the Starling's food is 

 insect, and one-fifth grain, whereas in the case of the Rook one- 

 fifth is insect, and more than one-half grain. These figures also 

 show that so far as the use of plants for food is concerned, the 

 Starling can be blamed only for his taste for grain, since this is the 

 only crop which he takes and uses. The question of the usefulness 

 of the Starling must depend on his relation to insects. Does 

 he destroy useful or injurious insects ? The answer has been 

 carefully worked out. The whole of the 30 occasions on which 

 grubs were taken must stand to his credit. Insects occurred on 

 152 occasions, some were useful, but the majority were not. 



If this estimate is correct, as it certainly appears to be, there 

 can be little hesitation regarding the Starling. He is a bird rather 

 to be fostered than destroyed ; he is a benefactor rather than a 

 foe to the farmer. Of the Pigeon, it may be said that he is an 

 unmitigated scoundrel ; of the Rook, that he is a cunning rogue ; 

 but of the Starling, we can say with truth that he is the natural 

 friend of the farmer. 



