28 BULLETIN 868, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
TABLE I.—Comparison of depredations by various species of birds on cherry trees in Con- 
necticut. 
Number of birds that came to eat cherries. 
Date and length of time 
spent at each tree. Eng- | Balti- Red- 
lish | more| Cow- | winged 
spar-| ori- |birds.} black- 
rows. | oles. birds. 
Chip- 
Blue | ping | Total 
jays. | Spar | birds. 
rows. 
Rose 
| Cat- breast- 
gros- 
les. | Neaks. 
June 26, 2 hrs., 15 mins. 
June 26, 1 hr., 15 mins..| © 
June 27, 45 mins 
June 27, 3 hrs 
June 27, 10 mins 
cee 
June 29, 3 hrs., 30 mins. 
July 4, 10 mins 
July 5, 15 mins 
July 10, 2 hrs 
Totals 
On examination of this table it is found that about half the birds 
feeding on cherries were robins, less than a third were starlings, and 
the others were of various species, none numerous enough to be of 
any consequence. ‘This interesting bit of evidence is confirmed by 
stomach analyses of robins and starlings. The stomachs of 11 robins, 
collected while feeding in cherry trees, contained 10.27 per cent 
animal matter and 89.73 vegetable matter, of which 85.73 per cent 
was cultivated cherries. Forty-nine starlings, obtained under the 
same circumstances, had fed on animal matter to the extent of 58.12 
per cent of their food; and vegetable matter, 41.88 per cent; cultivated 
cherries formed 36.72 per cent of the total. 
It was the experience of the writers that shooting a few starlings 
from cherry trees soon discouraged the survivors so effectually that 
they seldom returned. The robins, on the other hand, were exceed- 
ingly bold and paid no attention to any frightening devices placed 
in the trees or to shooting. Frequently a starlmg or a robin was 
shot from a tree without alarming other robins feeding. 
From the above data it will be seen that the starling eats fewer 
cherries, both individually and as a species, than the robin, although 
his attacks are much more conspicuous. According to most ob- 
servers, the robin, as well as the starling, increased considerably in 
numbers in the decade following 1910 throughout the area covered 
by this investigation, and both species are undoubtedly responsible 
for the increasmg difficulties of cherry culture. Both species have 
habits to recommend them on economic grounds, with the staring 
in the more favorable position on account of its smaller consumption 
of fruit and much larger consumption of noxious insects."° 
_ 10 For a detailed record of the robin’s food, see Food of the Robins and Bluebirds of the United States, 
by F. E. L. Beal, Bull. 171, U.S. Dept. of Agr., pp. 2-15, 1915. 
