Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-20
Bird Murder
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:


Many others, I am sure. enjoyed, as I
did the letter published in Fridays Star
in reply to that of Mr.. w. Lee White,
who had boosted of killing all kinds of
birds. The game laws. as Mr.. Evans SO
forcibly stated, protect the birds during
the nesting season, and ignorance should
not be a sufficient excuse for cruelty.
The birds which are often given SO little
consideration do an immense amount OF
drudgery for man A pair of robins have
been watched while they carried hum
dreds of earth worms to their nest. Wood
peckers destroy eggs and larvae which,
II developed, would produce millions Of
destructive creatures in our forests and
orchards; ard the most inveterate foes
of the canker worm are the orlole, the
robin, the catbird and the bluebird. Doz-
ems of other bird species, If we would fol-
low them with love instead OF cruelty,
would be found among the farmers best
friends, and II they do now and then re-
ward themselves with a bit Of ripening
fruit it Is not half their due, and why
should we stingily withhold it?
These men who shoot birds for FUN and
for bird dinners" must invent some bet
ter excuse than that the birds are their
foes. Just now the birds are busy with
their housekeeping. and there Is no heart
on the globe more full Of love than that
of the little mother bird when, after four
teen long days of patient waiting. she
hears the sweet sounds SO dear to her
heart and feels the precious indication OF
life under her soft, warm breast; and no
human mother was ever prouder OF her
loved ones than she when she dares to
leave them for a few moments at time
to help her devoted mate bring home the
necessary food to fill the hungry little
mouths. Perhaps the little breasts are
growing red, or blue. or yellow. or brown,
when the murderous gun Of the man In
and the little mother or her beautiful
mate, or both, are laid low. Fortunate
indeed for them If their death be sudden
and sure; but what of her who. wounded
and suffering, flutters to the foot of the
home tree? She cannot fiy to her nest. for
her wing is broken. SO she chirps. and
the little ones hear and answer, but she
cannot come to them nor tell them the
reason why AS hunger tortures her
darlings and they cry out louder In their
suffering she makes one last effort to
reach them, only to turn over on the poor
broken wing. Then the chirping and the
the long hours drag on. till at last the
suffering little mother Is at rest. and her
pretty nestltngs, missing her warm
breast, cannot survive the long cold night,
heads over the side of the nest and make
the last faint call for the little dead
mother under the tree. Gunner for sport
and for appetite, are you proud of your
work?
Is it possible there is a law in the Dis
trict of Columbia prohibiting the slaugh-
ter of birds during the nesting season
and one Of her citizens may with i'm
punity boast Of his bird dinners in
June? II such a law does not exist, then,
for the sake of the example to our pre-
cious children. for sweet PHYS sake, for
simple decency's sake, let US have one to
cover the case, and have 1t strictly en-
forced. Much better, however, that the
hearts of men who SO lightly treat Gods
handiwork might be softened by the love
and tenderness which at all times filled
the heart of the Master whose teachings
could not fail to create a disposition to
be kind to every living creature The
heart that will look with pity and love
upon the birds and dumb animals will
find little difficulty in recognizing fully
all the rights of his fellow man.
And is not the reverse of this PROPOSE
ton true? Will not the boy or man who
holds SO lightly the life of Gods lesser
creatures in time get to put slight value
upon the life of the human being?
HELEN e. ARMOUR.