44 BULLETIN 868, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
tained 114 stones of cultivated cherries: when cleaned on July 11. 
The economic significance of the starling’s taste for cherries is fully 
discussed under the food of the adults, on pages 26 to 28. 
The remaining vegetable food, less than 2 per cent, is composed 
largely of rubbish. Mere traces of corn, oats, and wheat were present 
in a few stomachs. 
FOOD PREFERENCES AT DIFFERENT AGES. 
In order to reveal the changes that take place in the food prefer- 
ences of the nestling starling from the time it receives its first meal 
to the time it is ready to leave the nest and shift for itself, the nest- 
lings’ stomachs were arranged in three groups, representing as nearly 
as possible the first, second, and third periods of nestling life. These 
groups include, approximately, (1) birds from 1 to 5 days old; (2) 
those 6 to 10 days old; and (8) all above 10 days of age. Each group 
was well represented, there being 79, 94, and 122 stomachs, respec- 
tively. Fourteen additional nestling stomachs on hand could not be — 
used, as definite data concerning their age was lacking. The infor- 
mation derived from the regrouping of this material is presented in 
condensed form in Table III and graphically represented in figure 3. 
TaBLe II1.— Monthly percentages of various kinds of food eaten by nestling starlings, 
showing the changing character at different ages (see fig. 3). 
an 
l | ae 
| | Grass- | | Miscel Miscel- 
May _ fhoppers! a.z,,. ny | SS ar. | Janeous 
Age of nestlings. Grom beetles, Wee and | sie ae. Sader Ener one | Yege- 
= | } matter. | 
ets. | matter 
2D ne eee CSRs eerie eer ees Po pr aeons eee More 
LOO GAaySes 222-5 2.43 | 3.91 5.59 | 13.96 | 45.26 1.48 | 23.44 2.98 0.18 | 0.77 
6 tod0 days. 2-222. 11.59 | 18.33 4.49} 41.23] 34.88 5.34 3.57 5.93 3.36 | 1.28 
10 or more days..... | 7.69 | 18.25] 1.02] 8.98] 37.81| 6.38] 3.28] 7.61] 4.76 |) deo 
so. | 
It will be noticed that as the bird grows older there is a decrease 
in its consumption of soft and easily digested foods. The bulk of 
spiders eaten, for instance, is confined to the first few days of the 
bird’s life. In the case of caterpillars the decrease is not uniform, 
although it is apparent that the very voung birds are fed more than 
those a little older. There is also a gradualJessening in the quantity 
of crickets and grasshoppers taken. Under the heading ‘“‘ weevils” 
a similar decrease is recorded, but instead of the hard-shelled adults 
being so popular with young starlings, it is the larve of the clover 
leaf weevil which forms the bulk of the food. In the case of ground 
beetles and May beetles, as well as with millipeds, the younger nest- 
lings are given smaller quantities. The same is true for the principal 
vegetable item, cultivated cherries. Only two of the 79 starlings 
less than 6 days old had been fed such fruit. 3 
Se ee 
