ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE STARLING. AK 2 
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 1 in close proximity to each other. At Hart- 
ford, Conn., a pair of bluebirds and three pairs of starlings nested in 
natural Ces 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 flicker 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 flicker 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 gamein 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 raetohed § in a tree in his dooryard. He had 
prevented the starlings from nesting in this cavity by repeated shoot- 
