Evening star., 1936-06-20

on the ground, and one In a tree. The
latter would sing sometimes for the
entire period.
This was a delightful bird interluoe,
and it is not to be wondered at that
the gardeners miss 1t.
Many thrushes sing il the neighbor-
hood, so they do not miss the music, but
still they lament the absence Of the
birds from their particular garden.
The rhodes are still there, but the
thrushes walk no more.
If Jenny Wren is responsible for this,
1t is heavy responsibility on her pretty
little head.
Yet she is belligerent small creature.
1t well may be that her very presence
intimidateS the larger but more peaceful
birds.
1t even may be that her queer noises
drive the thrushes away.
The thrush is e musician. Few, If any,
birds surpaSs him in song.
Whereas the wrens, with all possible
due respect to their vocal powers, are
rather more noisy than musical.
AS one bird lover said the other day,
"a pair Of wrens is all right, but suppose
you had whole flock of them"
X
Few persons in their right senses
would be willing to trade the gracious
personality and beautiful song of the
wood thrush for all the wrens that ever
lived.
The latter are interesting, engaging
little creatures, in their way, and make
an especial appeal on account of their
tendency to come back to the same wren
house every year, but perhaps few bird
lovers would be willing to accept them
in lieu of wood thrusheS, if they could
have the latter. Not every community
has these beautiful singers. In the early
days of America they we're regarded
solely as forest BIRDS hence their name.
AS the country grew the wood thrush,
instead Of retreating into the woods,
along with its cousin. the hermit thrush,
decided on a bold stroke.
1t would become the bird of the sub
urban areas!
1t was bold decision, indeed. AS we
look at this pleasant creature we well
may wonder how it made up its mind
to it, for there is nothing pushing or
forward about this thrush. 1t comes
and goes gently, without the sheer noise
of some birds. It's every action is
thing of grace and good demeanor. If
the old-faShioned word "genteel," now
unfortunately going out of use, can be
applied to any feathered creature, sure
ly it is to the wood thrush, whose ac-
tions, song, appearance and everyday
habits are cultured in the true sense.
X k
1t is a maxim Of bird observation,
however, that one must take them as
they come.
If the home gardener is to be friend
of birds he will go slow in hating or de-
Spising any of them.
1t will not do to emulate those bird
enthusiasts who develop a positive. cor
roding spleen against the English spar
row, for instance. Some of them say
that this bird is so lazy that it will not
leave feeding station in the Spring if
food is continually put out. This posi-
lively is not true. We had many English
sparroWS leave our feeders weeks before
the feeding was ended for the season. The
last birds to patronize it were the cardi-
mails, coWbirdS. mourning doves and
pigeons The sparrows had gone of their
own accord days before.
So it is with wren and thrush. If the
latter cannot endure the former, then it
is just too bad, as the saying it. The
gardeners will take delight in the wrens,
and enjoy their busy, busting presence.
They are swell little birds, after all.