1116 



The Starling. 



[Mar., 



numbers were much smaller, but increased again in 1917. 

 During 1918 they outnumbered anything seen previously. 

 Small flocks were observed on 7th September, and larger ones 

 on the 8th. On the latter date one flock alone must have 

 contained something between 150,000 and '200,000 birds, and 

 on the 9th September a still larger flock was observed. This 

 immigration of course occurs all along the eastern coast of 

 England and Scotland, so that the actual number of arrivals 

 must total many millions. The Continental visitors are darker in 

 colour than our residents, and many of them remain here. 



The depredations of this bird are known only too well, and 

 require little further description. During the past two years 

 the writer has visited many farms investigating the damage 

 caused to newly-sown cereals. In some cases as much as 

 tSO per cent, of the seed was eaten. The loss due to re-sowing, 

 where possible, is very great if the high cost of labour is taken 

 into consideration, but where this is not possible it is a direct 

 and enormous loss to the cultivator and to the nation. Again, 

 in fruit growing districts the depredations of this bird become 

 more marked annually, cherries, strawberries, currants, plums 

 of all kinds, and more recently, apples and pears suffer. One 

 grower states: " Only one bird is dangerous to my crops — that 

 is, the starling. He threatens the utter destruction of our 

 strawberry, raspberry, cherry, gooseberry, currant, and some 

 other crops. These birds are said to come here from the 

 marshes as soon as the young are hatched, and they come in 

 millions — in flocks that darken the sky." Another grower 

 writes: " During recent years this bird has increased to such 

 an alarming extent as to be a plague. They come in flocks of 

 tens of thousands, and whilst here commit an enormous 

 amount of damage which must far outweigh any benefits they 

 confer. Each year they seem to grow more plentiful. I am 

 in favour of a very drastic reduction for some time to come." 



In order to appreciate clearly the true economic position of 

 the starling, it is necessary that the stomach contents of a 

 large series of individuals should be examined, from various 

 districts, and during each month of the year. Such an 

 examination has been made, and as a result we find that of the 

 total bulk of food consumed in a year 51 per cent, consists of 

 animal matter and 49 per cent, of vegetable matter (see Fig. 1) . 

 Examined in further detail we find that the animal matter 

 contains 26.5 per cent, of injurious insects and their larvae, 

 3.5 per cent, of neutral insects, 2.5 per cent, of beneficial 



