A Starling at Squantum, Mass.— On March 26, 1912, on a trip to 
Squantum and Moon Island with Mr. Richard M. Marble, a Starling 
(Sturnus vulgaris) was seen on the headland, known as Squantum Head. 
It was in company with four Robins and was viewed on successive perches 
upon the scattered trees and also as it walked on the ground. The bird 
was not seen on subsequent visits to the place either by ourselves or by 
ot ler observers. As Squantum Head is within sight of the gilded dome 
ot the State House, the occurrence of this individual Starling, is, so far as 
1 am aware the first record of the species in the immediate vicinity of 
Boston. Horace W. Wright, Boston, Mass / 
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The Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris) at Springfield, Mass. — In the spring 
of 1908 the presence of a single Starling was first noticed in this vicinity. 
Since that time the number observed in this part of the Connecticut 
valley has rapidly increased until this winter flocks containing upwards of 
one hundred individuals have been often seen. They now occasionally 
come into the very center of the city, frequenting the spires and cupolas 
of the churches and public buildings.— Robert O. Morris, Springfield, 
Mass • iVb fi- 3V*- 
Starlings {Sturnus vulgaris) in Cambridge, Mass.— A flock of Starlings 
numbering about sixty birds appeared at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, in 
late November, 1913. They were first seen by me on the 27th day and 
have been successively observed up to the middle of February, the time of 
the writing of this note. Occasionally the flock has been divided and 
fewer individuals only have been seen; yet it appears to have remained 
essentially intact, for on February 4 and 13 the number was reckoned as 
fifty or more. On December 25 seventy-three birds were actually counted, 
as they passed in squads in the same direction from one group of trees to 
another group. On January 30 one was singing very prettily, perched high 
and alone in an oak. This is the first flock to appear in the vicinity of 
Boston. A single bird only has been hitherto reported, seen at Squantum 
Head, March 26, 1912 (Auk, XXIX, July, 1912, p. 394), which disappeared 
and was not further noted. The Cambridge flock has remained in and about 
the Fresh Pond reservation. It is interesting that an employee in the park, 
who told me that he was fifteen years from Ireland, recognized these birds 
at once on their appearance, feeling sure they were what were called in the 
Old Country ‘Stares,’ in England, Starlings. He was pleased to have the 
identification confirmed. — Horace W. Wright, Boston, Mass. 
Starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris) at Barnstable, Mass. — Mr. W. S. Holway 
of Watertown, Mass., who has a hunting shanty on the Great Marshes at 
Barnstable, communicated to the writer the following bird tragedy. 
The shanty which has not been in use during the summer was visited 
on August 26 by Mr. Ilolway’s brother, who was to look it over and put 
it in order for the fall gunning. As he entered he heard a flutter in the 
vertical part of the stove pipe, and some distance above the damper dis- 
covered a small hole in which he thought he could see something moving. 
Enlarging the opening to investigate, sixteen birds came flying out one by 
one. On taking down the pipe he found a solid mass of dead birds from 
the damper to the hole, and a dozen more in the horizontal run. At the 
bottom of the outside chimney, into which the horizontal pipe fitted, were 
at least fifty. In all, he said, there were over one hundred. Specimens 
brought to the writer for identification proved to be Starlings. 
The birds made their entrance through the slots of the cap on the chim- 
ney, and were evidently unable to fly up and out of the small pipe or to 
crawl up its smooth, glazed lining. Mr. Holway placed some fine chicken 
wire over the cap to prevent the birds from entering in the future. Inci- 
dentally, this suggests the lines along which a Starling trap may be made 
when it shall become necessary to deal more strenuously with these annoy- 
ing pests. — T. E. Penard, Arlington, Mass. 
/^J^yDcxy. 'j'u, go -8 /, 
