HAVOC WEOUQHT BY THE STARLING. 149 



The summary of the article states the result of the investiga- 

 tions, viz. : eleven contained insects of the injurious group ; 

 five, beneficial group ; seven, indifferent group ; five, wheat ; 

 two, oats ; four, molluscs ; five, grass. 



Damaging young wheat crop : The two examples (Nos. 3, 9, 5, 

 3, 9, 6) were forwarded with the note that they were shot while 

 in the act of damaging a young wheat-field, but no trace of the 

 young plants was found among the stomach contents ; so that it 

 is highly probable that the birds had pulled up the plant in 

 order to reach the maggots or fly-larvae which they were found 

 to contain. 



On Hayling, of late years, they presumably devour wheat as 

 a food itself, not for any larvae or maggots contained in it. 



Mr. Beeston, of Havant, very kindly identified the molluscs 

 contained in the Starlings I shot. 



The photograph I took shows the newly-sown wheat, molluscs, 

 and triturated material contained in the seven Starlings. Before 

 the photograph was taken of the 112 grains of wheat two were 

 lost, and of the molluscs the one shell of Cochlicopa lubrica. 



