THE STARLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2997, 23 August 1911, Page 21

THE STARLING.

An apologist for the bird is found in Mr H. G. Kater, M.L.C., who thus writes' to a New South Wales exchange:—"l have no hesitation in saying that the starling is not - a pest as far as pastoralists are concerned. Before the starling made its appearance at Sutton: Forest it was a common occurrence for my sheep to be flyblown j but for the past two years they are always followed by a large flock of starlings, and I never have a sheep flyblown.. Before the starlings ca.me to the distract bot flies were in great numbers, but since the starlings' appeared bat flies have' greatly diminished. During last summer I did not see one, and their eggs on the horses were few. For the past few years my cherry trees had all their loaves devoured by the cherry slug before the end of December; last summer not half the leaves were destroyed, and my explanation is that the starlings' eat the saw fly, the parent of the cherry slug. I had fruit in my garden all last summer, and I rrover saw a starling in it, while in the adjoining paddock there was always a flock oif thousands with the sheep. Last summer a plague of grasshoppers, in the hopping stage, invaded my paddocks; the starlings devoured every one in" a very short time. My observation tells me that starlings nest in the hollow trees, and never come near the house, . and live all the time on insects. I am persuaded that as the starling spreads over the country, so surely will blowflies, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other insect pests be wiped out. The Government should be asked to protect the starlings, not to destroy theimi. I know many of mv friends have the same experience a» to the absence of blowflies since the starlings took to living with their sheet), and I hope some of them will write to the papers in support of what I say."