The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-08
MATTHIAS TALKS
ON " BIRDS and
BOYS TO CLUB

The West End Boys club was ia
vored last evening with talk by
Mr.. Lewis B. Matthias who is a local
secretary Of the Audubon Society. He
was warmly received by a large audi
ence, which was composed entirely Of
boys from five to sixteen years of age,
all Of whom listened very attentively
while he told them about Birds and
Boys
He said st believe that every boy
likes to have a good time. That is
natural: and I hope every boy here
knows how to enjoy himself without
creature in this world has some way
Of enjoying itself. The birds are the
worlds happy children. If you do not
believe it, just go out some morning
when the sun is shining brightly, and
listen to them. Even the English
sparrows try to sing. There are diff
kinds of birds. There are good boys
and: bright boys and dull; pretty
boys and homely; well-dressed boys
and poorly dressed; surly boys and
cheerful: boys who whistle and boys
who can't whistle or sing. There are
also different kinds of birds, good
birds and bad; pretty birds and home
ly; birds with pretty feathers. and
birds that are not we'll dressed; birds
that sing and others that cannot sing;
birds that hop, and birds that walk;
and SO, we might go on describing
and contrasting the different kinds OF
boys and birds; but there is one thing
that want you to remembsr-eyery
boy and every bird has a place to fill
in this world. Because, or do not
know what that place is, is no reason
why we should try to put boys or
birds out of the world.
liputiars almost out Of their wits, and
as a great giant coming into this
room and stepping on the boys here
or picking them up and throwing them
out of the windows would brighten US
all out of our wits; so. the thoughtless
man or boy frightens the little inno-
cent birds when he goes into the fields
or woods. The birds are afraid of US
because they cannot trust us. Mr.
Job. the State ornitheiegist, teaches
birds to trust him, SO that they will
come and eat out of his hand. We
can teach the birds that we are their
friends. We can give them food, es-
they can have fresh water to drink
each day. They will son learn to
know who is providing for them. Per-
haps some Of US do not see any beau
ty in the sparrow and the starting
because they are SO common but we
nave iiO iIoTS right IMAM Inat giant
to say that they ought not to live.
There are a number Of birds that are
in the vicinity of Bridgeport, every
year Now, we have with us, the
winter birds, the juncko or siate-col-
ored snow birds, the brown creper
and the tree sparrow. then We have
some birds that are with us the en-
tire year, as the black-eapped shicka-
dee, the little downy wood-pecker, and
our city birds. Tt liz now time for the
spring birds or summer birds to make
their appearance. Some of the blue
birds have already arrived. The rob-
ms are now due. Then son will come
the flickers, the gold finehes, and 9TH
err varieties of sparrows, red winged
black fly catchers, king fishers, bob
olinks, cuckoos and the warblers.
Some of these birds will not stay here,
and will stop only a day or two on
their way to Canada or northern New
England, and We will not see them
again until next fall. These birds
give many people pleasure to watch
them, but it is not for that purpose
only that they were created If we
could have the song birds stay in our
city, they would make 1t not only
pleasant for US, but would keep the
bugs off our trees that are being des-
troyed every year. They are doing a
great favor to the farmers, and to
the country at large. Should we not
encourage them. since they are SO
useful3"