Evening star., 1932-12-16

A Silver Spring lady gently chides US
for stating that the cardinal bird
'leaves for the Winter"
Quite properly, she adds that this
beautiful feathered friend stays around
and should be given food and water.
It is very easy to forget this require
ment, which becomes particularly essen
tial when snow and ice are on the
Not that birds are in much real
danger of starving in this climate.
Snow does not lie here for weeks at
q time, as 1t does in more Northern
communities.
There are plenty of shrubs bearing
berries, which furnish excellent susie
nance for birds wintering here.
Rock Greek Park alone would prob
ably provide for all the birds Of Mary
land. Virginia and the District Of
Columbia.
In addition, there are hundreds OF
acres Of farmland and the like where
birds may secure various foodstufts
Let us never forget that birds can fly.
It cannot be gainsaid, however, that
the lover Of nature feels that he should
90 something or other to help his
feathered friends at this time.
The cardinals look as If they would
enjoy few bread crumbs or chunk
Of suet.
The pretty snowbirds, the juncoes
with their white underparts, surely
relish this platter of broken bits OF
bread spread out over the snow with q
sweeping motion.
There Is just one drawback to feeding
the birds in Winter, and that Is the
ultimate presence Of starlings. No mat
ter If these birds have not been seen In
a neighborhood for weeks, they Will
appear within Is minutes OF the time
the first crumb hits the snow.
This Is a mystery of bird life, along
with that of migration. It is likely
that the starlings have foray parties
constantly in the air, scenting out OF
otherwise discovering the good things
which they perpetually find exist In
nature.
Despite their disagreeable features
the starlings are interesting, as all birds
are. There Is something clown like In
their waddle, due to their absurdly
short tails.
Nor are they ugly birds. looked at
II irly. Their feathers are well kept
and glistening. and their figures good
aside from the unbalanced appearance
due to the short tail.
Their appearance at the impromptu
feast usually scares away most OF the
smaller birds, but We have never beer
able to discover that this Is due to any
particular belligerency on the par
Of the starlings.
Smaller birds tend to shy from larger
ones on general principles, just as small
animals mostly run from larger crea-
lures, at least until they discover thai
the latter intend them no harm.
Furred animals, such as cats. VII
flee from dogs as general PROPOSE
ton, but occasionally show an utter
lack Of fear of some huge fellow who
manifests in his eyes tolerance OF
them.
We will never forget the sight Of ar
old shepherd dog, very old and very
large, sitting with its paws stretched
out in front Of it.
One by one four strange cats came
up to him, shifted his nose, and ther
calmly walked away. never at any TINS
manifesting the slightest alarm.
Nature is not all fight and terror, as
sometimes she seems to be. Frlendh-
ness, too. is a part OF her m1lnlte
charm While it is a sentiment easily
tOppleQ over, IL S oilc SceAi oAls4 - sNNN
strangest and most unlikely places.
The birds have the advantage OF
appearing to manifest a frlenollness
which they do not feel, not being en-
dowed with the attributes necessary.
They do, however, put up tremen-
dous bluff at being friendly, going
through SO many motions, including
that Of song, so long associated by man
kind with love, that their friends are
inclined to accept their overtures with
oIt further question.