Erysipelothrix infection in avian species occurs primarily as a septicemia. The etiologic agent, Erysipelothrix insidiosa, causes the disease known as erysipelas in animals and birds, and erysipeloid in man (2). Furthermore, clinical infections in the domestic fowl have been related to those in animals, and man (12). Natural outbreaks of erysipelas have been recognized in gallinaceous birds in the United States since 1934. The first published report of erysipelas infection in turkeys in this country was made in 1936, involving an outbreak in New Jersey (1). In a comprehensive review of the literature by Beaudette and Hudson (1), most of the references cited on this disease in birds originated in Europe. Since their initial paper, outbreaks of erysipelas in turkeys have been reported by at least 15 other investigators in various states (12). A serious outbreak was reported in a flock of domestic ducks in Illinois (9), and a few years later in New Jersey (10), Virginia (11), and New York (4). Erysipelothrix infection was identified in a quail in Iowa (13). The disease was described in chickens in Nebraska (3), and subsequently in New York (5). A large flock of pheasants in Pennsylvania experienced an acute outbreak with high mortality attributed to erysipelas (11). During the past 16 years the authors (6) have identified 199 outbreaks of erysipelas in turkey flocks, 7 in chicken flocks, one in a captive flock of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix), one case in a Pekin duck, and once in a male Penguin (Stheniscus demersus). This report describes 5 naturally occurring cases of Erysipelothrix infection encountered in starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) found dead in Massachusetts during a 3-year survey (March 9, 1964, to March 10, 1967).