The Washington herald., 1913-04-06
by J. STUART PRICE.

While President Woodrow Wilson and
his Cabinet members are working over.
time these pretty spring days to get the
reins of government we'll in hand. the
birds and squirrels of the White House
Grounds are fitting here and there, also
preparing for the days to come.
To the busy business man and civilian
it would seem that the nations leader
would not have time to think of even
this little detail while in the White House,
yet President Wilson loves birds and
animal life. and when spare moments
present he cannot resist the temptation
to gaze about him as the happy robin
redbreast the crow, blackbird. flicker,
catbird. bluebird, woodpecker, and spar
row all mingle together in the shady
grounds, assuaging their thirst and bath
ing in the same fountains Except for a
stray cat the feathered White House
tribe and the furry squirrel go undiS-
turbed and unmolested.
They seem this spring to be more plen-
tiful than ever before. This is explained
by the fact that the past winter has
been an unusually pleasant one. The
robin is the only one of the group
dwindling in number. But there is a
country. and naturally Washington must
suffer the absence of its usual great
throng of the pretty feathered fellow.
The robins what few that live about
the White House, build nests in the orna
mental bay trees that adorn the terraces
on the east and west sides of the main
building and the sparrows quarrel and
fight within few feet of the Presidents
windows One hundred feet from the
south windows that afford such a pretty
view from the Presidents own office
pair of fickers are mating in the hollow
of the dead limb of an oak tree.
Squirrels are OF comparatively recent
date in the White House grounds. They
first began making their homes there
six or seven years ago, Across Penn
sylvania Avenue in Lafayette Park, the
squirrels have become so tame that they
will get within grasping distance. The
same is true over in the Capitol grounds,
where the little animals often are fed
by visitors. They really have learned to
become angered if a visitor does not pre-
sent them with something appetlZlng.
Only a few days ago when the last of
the inauguration visitors were departing
for their homes, a visitor was badly bit
ten on the neck, ears, and face by an
angry gray squirrel in Lafayette Square,
across from the Executive Mansion. The
visitor pretended he had some food for
the squirrel. grabbed at it. and soon
found that he was no match for the wiry
little beast.
Within fifty feet of one Of the north
windows of the Presidents personal Of
fee and Cabinet room is a pretty little
pine of the spruce series 1t is within
five feet of the granolithic sidewalk over
which so many visitors reach the execu-
tive Offices each day. The tree is eight
feet tall and of the thick foliage spruce
variety, large at the bottom and pointed
at the top. In the top limbs is the nest
of a pair of robins. and they are pre-
pairing the raise a brood of young.
abundant Food supply.
The robins find an abundant food sup
ply in the grounds of the White House.
The timely spring rains and the fire.
quent sprinkling of the grass encourages
the earth worm to stay near the top OF
the ground. and that is just what the
robin wants If there is any bird that