138 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH INLAND BIRDS 
STARLING. 
(^Sturnus vulgaris,^ 
Stare, Sheep-stare. — The Starling is one of the 
most remarkable as well as one of the commonest 
British birds. Thirty or forty years ago it was seldom 
or never seen in many western districts of Cornwall, 
Wales, and Ireland, where it is now abundant ; 
and even since 1900 there has been an immense 
increase in the numbers of starling flocks in many 
parts of the country, accompanied by a change in 
their feeding-habits which have made them the 
dread of gardeners and fruit-growers. The Starling 
has long enjoyed the reputation of being almost 
entirely an insect feeder and a trusted farmer's 
friend, in spite of a certain amount of damage 
to apples, cherries, and other tree-fruit in its 
season ; but now, though the good that it still 
does by destroying insects is enormous, its taste 
for fruit has become so pronounced that a crop of 
ripe cherries is often entirely devoured by a flock 
of Starlings in the space of a few hours. The 
same increase in numbers and voracity has been 
observed during the last few seasons in Belgium, 
and probably in other neighbouring countries ; 
and there seems no doubt that a great westward 
movement of Starlings is taking place over a region 
