pe 
ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE STARLING. ee 
movement. All the birds in one locality collect into a single roost, 
but in addition to this there is a large increase in the flocks along the 
seacoast and a considerable movement southward from the breed- 
ing area. For three years a varying number of starlings appeared 
in a fall roost in Washington, D. C., before breeding birds were first 
found in 1917. Other localities south of the breeding range have 
also reported wintering flocks for several years before the birds 
have become permanent residents. 
ECONOMIC STATUS IN OTHER COUNTRIES.? 
While the behavior of the starling in its native home and in coun- 
tries to which it has been introduced can not be interpreted as a 
certain indication of its conduct under the new conditions it will 
meet in this country, its activities elsewhere will serve to call atten- 
tion to its capabilities for domg good or harm. Throughout most 
of its breeding range in Europe, particularly in France, Germany, and 
Hungary, the bird is held in great esteem and is encouraged, by the 
erection of nest boxes, to breed about farms and gardens. 
The chief German authorities, with one exception, have considered 
the starling more beneficial than injurious. The birds there do consid- 
erable damage to grapes and cherries, and to a smaller extent injure 
various cultivated berries. On the other hand, they feed freely upon 
injurious snails and slugs, beetle larve, caterpillars, maggots, and grass- 
hoppers. Among their prey are such pests as ticks, gadflies, stable flies, 
cockchafers, fern beetles, pine weevils, fir weevils, spruce moths, and . 
field and mole crickets. 
French authors mention damage by the starling to olives and 
srapes, but are unanimous in declaring the species useful. It is 
significant, moreover, that, although one of their articles was pub- 
lished in a viticultural journal, damage to grapes, one of the greatest 
points made against the starling, was not considered sufficient to 
exclude the bird from the list of useful species. 
In Belgium the starling is said to be very useful and its damage in- 
significant, as it prefers an insect diet. It eats about the same pests 
as in Germany, and in addition wireworms, grass moths, plant lice, 
and oak leaf-rollers. 
The late Otto Herman, distinguished Hungarian ornithologist, 
asserts ‘ that, taking its feeding habits of the whole year into consid- 
eration, the starling does a thousand times more good than harm and 
richly deserves protection. * Starlings have rendered particularly 
efficient service during locust plagues i Hungary. 
The single Swiss author consulted gives the bird about as much 
adverse criticism as praise; and a communication from Tunis states 
8 The data presented under this topic were compiled by W. L. McAtee, of the Biological Survey. 
4 Herman, Otto, Nutzen und Schaden der Vogel, Leipzig, p. 181, 1903. 
