90 
RED-WINGED STARLING. 
states of New Jersey and Delaware, they continue long after 
that period. 
Such are the general manners and character of the Red-wing- 
ed Starling; but there remain some facts to be mentioned, no 
less authentic, and well deserving the consideration of its ene- 
mies more especially of those whose detestation of this species 
would stop at nothing short of total extirpation. 
It has been already stated that they arrive in Pennsylvania 
late in March. Their general food at this season, as well as 
during the early part of summer, (for the Crows and Purple 
Grakles are the principal pests in planting time,) consists of 
grub-worms, caterpillars, and various other larvas, the silent 
but deadly enemies of all vegetation, and whose secret and in- 
sidious attacks are more to be dreaded by the husbandman than 
the combined forces of the whole feathered tribes together. For 
these vermin the Starlings search with great diligence; in the 
ground, at the roots of plants, in orchards, and meadows, as well 
as among buds, leaves and blossoms; and from their known vo- 
racity the multitudes of these insects which they destroy must 
be immense. Let me illustrate this by a short computation. If 
we suppose each bird, on an average, to devour fifty of these 
larvae in a day, (a very moderate allowance,) a single pair in 
four months, the usual time such food is sought after, will con- 
sume upwards of twelve thousand. It is believed, that not less 
than a million pair of these birds are distributed over the whole 
extent of the United States in summer; whose food being nearly 
the same, would swell the amount of vermin destroyed to twelve 
thousand millions. But the number of young birds may be 
fairly estimated at double that of their parents, and as these are 
constantly fed on larvae for at least three weeks, making only 
the same allowance for them as for the old ones, their share 
would amount to four thousand two hundred millions; making a 
grand total of sixteen thousand two hundred millions of noxious 
insects destroyed in the space of four months by this single 
species! The combined ravages of such a hideous host of vermin 
would be sufficient to spread famine and desolation over a wide 
