The Washington times., 1901-07-22
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

| The most popular tree in the National
| Capital is a huge one of the mulberry
| species, near the Tenth and b Street en-
| trance to the Smithsonian grounds 1t is
| fairly groaning under the weight of an
| enormous burden of fruit and the park
| watchmen in the reservation say that the
| crop this year is larger than it has been
for long time. The berries are of the
white variety and are sweet and succu-
| lent.
| Department clerks. employees in the
| Agricultural and Museum buildings have
| discovered it. as in fact they have for
| many years past, and almost every after
| noon as they leave their work at 4
O'Clock. many of them may be seen to
| stop for a few moments under the spread
| ing branches of the tree to pluck a hand
| ful or two of the fruit
The trees popularity among the clerks,
| however. is nothing to the high rating
which the birds who build their nests in
the Smithsonian grounds have given it.
In the top of a tall pine, only few yards
distant from the mulberry tree. a colony
of young crows reside. They have been
reared since Matching time, early in the
spring, on generous allowances of the
mulberry fruit.
Among the robins who inhabit the big
stretch of parks south of Pennsylvania
Avenue the mulberries are also held in
hlgh esteem, and, in fact, all members of
the feathered tribes have found the tree
and obtain their daily nourishment from
the ground under its spreading limbs
The thick grass is literally covered with
fallen berries, while the asphalt walk
which runs a few feet from it, which is
partly shaded by the thick branches. is
slippery and sticky with the crushed fruit
AT feeding hours all sorts and conditions
of birds congregate in the vicinity of the
tree to partake of the store of food which
nature has been generous enough to give
them, even in the heart of the city.
The crows nest is one of the best built
residences in Washington, and although
the Inspector of Buildings has never given
his permit for its erection. there is far
less danger of accident by fire or other
cause, so far as the crows house is con-
cerned, than hangs over many of the
more pretentious homes and buildings in
the city. One of these nests is poised in
crotch many feet from the ground, in
the very top of one of the few pine trees
in the Government parks. 1t is made of
sticks, and viewed from a park bench,
many feet below, it appears to possess
remarkable strength. The nest is one of
several scattered throughout the big eX-
panse of parking in the Mall. Apparent
ly, ii is owned on the SocialiStic plan, as
in each successive year 1t is taken pos
session of by new pair of recently mated
birds. who bill and coo and raise their
broods of young crows with the same
freedom and security they would feel
had they themselves been the original ar
chitects. Strangers in Washington on
sightseeing eXpeditions-and all visitors
to the Capital go a-sightseeing-inv
notice the big nest, and take more in
terest in it than they do in the usual
things which are down in the guide books.
II is often remarked that Uncle Sam
takes good care of his birds. The bird
population OF the Government parks is
very large, ana the songsters are all pro-
tected by law.
A householder on Capitol Hill possesses
a very valuable and artistically marked
cat, which has developed skill in catch
ing birds which is remarkable, and in
which its owner takes great pride. The
cat is part Maltese and part Persian, and
is the mother of a fine family OF kittens.
Some time ago her owner noticed that
just before sunset she left the house and
darted across the street to the Capitol
Grounds. She was absent for some time.
and when she returned she held a recent
ly killed bird in her mouth. The cats
owner thought she had caught a sparrow.
Upon examination, however. he found
that she had nearly full grown robin.
The cat repeated the experiment for sew
eral successive evenings. and Invariably
to her kittens with an English sparrow
held in her mouth, but frequently larger
birds were her victims. 1t is believed that
the cat catches the birds as they roost in
the low branches of trees and bushes in
the park surrounding the Capitol building.