ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE STARLING. 45 
From the foregoing detailed account of the food of nestling star- 
lings and the comparisons made with the food habits of the parent 
birds at the same time of year, it is apparent that the habits of the 
young materially raise the starling’s economic status in the early 
summer months. In the consumption of destructive caterpillars, 
_ crickets and grasshoppers, and scarabeid beetles, three of the favor- 
ite food items of starlings, the young birds excel, and in the destruc- 
SS 
QOS 
Pt ond beers LEAT 2 OAS 
MINNA Lees, CS eo = Borders 
PRES Leeotyks eee - DPYWIIG/ (PIGIIL” 
WS HAE QQOOS PC Nevwes 
LES Cate lars MM 50 vesobbhe maller 
Fig. 3.—Chart of food of 295 nestling starlings, showing its changing character during the three stages of 
nestling life. In Table II, page 44, the sameinformation is presented in percentages. Explanatory 
remarks on both chart and table are given on page 44. 
tion of beneficial ground beetles and cultivated cherries they are not 
so culpable as their parents. Correlated with this demonstrated su- 
periority in food habits are the facts that, bird for bird, nestlings con- 
sume more food than adults and that in the case of the starling they 
outnumber the adults two to one. Confronted with such an array 
of favorable testimony the worth of the young starling can be scarcely 
overestimated. 
