338 
jNIarch i6, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Praise for the Starling. 
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, Feb. 
25.— Editor Forest and Stream: Owing to the 
doubt and uncertainty which seem to prevail in 
certain quarters in this country concerning the 
habits and characteristics of the European starl¬ 
ing {Stnrnns vulgaris), an attempt, however im¬ 
perfect and necessarily brief, to elucidate these 
points may not be out of place at the present time. 
In the first place it should be borne in mind 
that the starling is originally an inhabitant in 
summer of the northern and central, and in 
winter of the southern parts of Europe, extend¬ 
ing its range eastward in Asia as far as India, 
although merging into other species in the larger 
region. It goes as far north in summer as the 
Arctic circle, and even somewhat beyond it, being 
known to have occurred at Quickjock in Lap- 
land at a latitude of 67 degrees north. It is a 
regular summer visitor throughout Scandinavia, 
Northern Russia and the British Isles, and has 
even become a resident in the Faroe Islands. 
The following freely translated extracts from 
Prof. Nilsson’s “Skandinavisk Fauna” (Vol. 2, 
part I, Birds), will give a fair idea of the habits 
of these birds in Scandinavia: 
“In the beginning of April the starlings here 
in Scania [Southern Sweden] begin to pair off 
at their nesting places in the woods. In Central 
Sweden they appear at their breeding localities 
somewhat earlier than the middle of April, and 
from the end of that month to the middle of 
May their eggs are to be found. About May 20 
the birds are feeding their young, and from the 
beginning to the middle part of June they have 
left the nests. From this time on several families 
unite into compact flocks and visit meadows and 
pasture fields in search of food, often associat¬ 
ing with the cattle for this purpose.” 
Toward evening they may often be seen in 
great numbers performing flying evolutions in 
the air, packed tightly together, flying now in 
one direction and now in another, with the pre¬ 
cision and regularity of a well-drilled flying- 
squadron, their beautiful iridescent colors of 
green, purple and blue showing off to great ad¬ 
vantage in the declining sunlight. Their flight is 
then quite noisy, although the -birds themselves 
utter no sound, and their regular and precise 
movements give one the remarkable impression 
of beholding a flock of birds simulating the ac¬ 
tion of a single animated creature endowed with 
astonishing powers of flight. The aerial evolu¬ 
tions of these birds already attracted the admir¬ 
ing attention of the ancients, and they are re¬ 
ferred to by Pliny the elder in his Historia 
naturalis, x. 24. 
“In September and October flocks of the birds 
are still to be found [in Sweden] either alone, 
or, as is the case here in Scania, in company 
with rooks [Corvus frugilegus\. In the latter 
month they gradually disappear from Scandi¬ 
navia, and the evidence tends to show that they 
migrate directly to Southern Europe, chiefly 
Italy and Spain, where enormous flocks of the 
birds suddenly arrive at this season.” Prof. 
Nilsson further states that he had seen a star¬ 
ling in the middle of winter at Malmo, in South¬ 
ern Sweden, looking for food in dung heaps in 
company with jackdaws {Corvus monediila). 
From this it will be seen that there is noth¬ 
ing improbable in the statement made by a con¬ 
tributor to Forest and Stream of Feb. 24 , to 
the effect that starlings had been observed in 
company with crows on apparently very friendly 
terms. There can be no doubt as to the habit 
of the starlings of frequently associating with 
corvine birds such as crows, jackdaws, etc., being 
themselves closely allied to the family Corvidce. 
I am able to confirm this statement from my own 
personal observation of the habits of these birds 
in Scandinavia. 
Referring to the statement of the editor of 
Forest and Stre.^m (ib.), that “for good and 
sufficient reasons the habits of the bird in Eng¬ 
land cannot be applied to starlings reared here,” 
exception must, to some-extent, be taken. It is 
perfectly true that naturalized birds and other 
animals in many cases turn out differently in 
their new abodes when compared to their mode 
of life in the original habitat, and unfortunately 
quite often to their own disadvantage, and that 
of their adopted country. This fact is generally 
due to a change of surroundings and conditions 
of life, such as the comparative abundance or 
scantiness of certain favorite food supplies, cli¬ 
mate, natural enemies, etc., yet it cannot be de¬ 
nied that the nature and habits of a bird as 
once established in its original home must be 
used as a basis for future expectations as to its 
habits and usefulness elsewhere. The nature and 
habits of the starlings, as established in their 
European homes, are entirely, or almost entirely, 
in their favor. 
Lei us further quote Prof. Nilsson as to the 
food of this species: “Insects, larvae, earth 
woms, slugs and various kinds of seeds and 
grain.. They often alight on the backs of sheep 
and other cattle in order to pick up flies, gad¬ 
flies and other insects. Sometimes they will 
visit carcasses in company with crows and jack¬ 
daws, although possibly, only in order to secure 
grubs and insects * * *. They may, therefore, 
be considered as omnivorous like all other gre¬ 
garious birds * * *. They nest in the hollows of 
old trees, church steeples, under eaves of houses, 
walls, etc. They also build their nests in hollow 
tree stumps having an opening on the side, put 
up for this purpose where there are colonies of 
this bird. Such artificial nests are erected near 
the houses on high poles, growing trees or even 
walls of houses, as in Oland (an island of the 
Baltic), Southwestern Norway and many regions 
of Russia, where the starling is considered as a 
friendly visitor and is protected by the landlord, 
particularly because it keeps the fruit trees free 
from insects and worms.” 
So far Professor Nilsson. It may be added 
in passing that the starling makes a most in¬ 
teresting and attractive cage bird, because of its 
intelligence and abilit}^ to imitate the sounds of 
other creatures, whistle melodies, etc. 
Finally let us quote the opinion of Prof. 
Alfred R. Newton, the eminent British orni¬ 
thologist, on the subject: 
“A more engaging bird scarcely exists, for its 
familiarity during some months of the year gives 
opportunities for observing its ways that few 
others afford, while its varied song, its spright¬ 
ly gestures, its glossy plumage, and, above all, 
its character as an insecticide—which last makes 
it the friend of the agriculturist and the grazier 
—render it an almost universal favorite. The 
worst that can be said of it is that it occasionally 
pilfers fruit, and, as it flocks to roost in autumn 
and winter among reed beds, does considerable 
damage by breaking down the stems. A most 
ridiculous and unfounded charge has been, how¬ 
ever, more than once brought against it—that of 
destroying the eggs of skylarks. There is little 
real evidence of its sucking eggs, and much of 
its not doing so, while to render the accusation 
still more absurd, it has been brought by a class 
of farmers who generally complain that skylarks 
themselves are highly injurious.”* 
I have personally observed this bird for a 
series of years in its native haunts in Northern 
Europe, where it is a great favorite among 
farmers and bird lovers, and can confirm all 
the statements quoted above. It is, moreover, 
difficult to believe that the bird should so sud 
denly have changed its original characteristics 
upon its introduction into the United States, 
that its extermination is advocated even before 
it has had time to become fairly established in 
its new home. 
To learn that this species has been placed on 
the list of proscribed birds in New York State 
is, therefore, somewhat shocking, and while ad¬ 
mitting the remote possibility of future develop¬ 
ments rendering such a course advisable—which 
should then also include jays, cow blackbirds, 
orioles, etc.—it is suggested that the ban on the 
starling be lifted as soon as possible, and the 
bird be given a fair chance to show its true 
qualities, good or bad, under its changed con¬ 
ditions of life. S. M. Gronberger, 
* For further information as to the habits of this 
species, see Yarrell, British Birds, Ed. 4, Vol. ii., pp. 
229-241. 
Ill-Advised Statements. 
Minneapolis, Minn., March 7 ,— Editor Forest 
and Stream: The old saying, “Many men, many 
minds,” certainly holds good under all condi¬ 
tions, It is interesting to sum up once in a 
while what we read about game and wild life 
protection in general, as seen by various 
writers. Not long ago a person from out West 
favored the extermination of all the gulls, be¬ 
cause they destroy a certain number of young 
ducks. Another person favors the destruction 
of all predaceous birds and mammals. Advo¬ 
cates of such measures are, in my opinion, very 
narrow-minded, only seeing things from one 
side. All predaceous animals when not too 
numerous, perform such a useful service in 
nature that nothing man-made can take their 
place in effectiveness and cheapness. What can 
take the place of our raptorial birds, to keep 
in check the various smaller rodents? 
In England, where the owners of the large 
game-raising estates lia-ve kept up an incessant 
war on birds of prey, it has come to such a 
point now, that the English farmers are troubled 
with a veritable pest of rats and mice. 
The statement made by Julian Burroughs at a 
recent meeting in New York favoring the ex¬ 
termination of several species of our useful 
