Evening star., 1937-01-23

In relation to natural resources OF all
sorts, goes on over a hundred different
fronts unknown in the past.
A bowl of guppies on living room table.
containing a few gallons of water and
half dozen little fishes about an inch
long, might at first hand fail to strike
eveli a modern observer as having any,
thing whatever to do with great en-
gineering projects and the health and
lives of thousands of human beings, yet
1t can be shown easily enough that these
little specimens, transplanted to marshy
places where mosquitoes and consequent
yellow fever abound, will consume mil
lions Of mosquito larvae, and thus help
nightly toward ending a vast scourge.
~ II \
The turtle dove in the garden at this
time is a very fine fellow, and we hope
his mate arrives on schedule time from
the South.
In the meantime, the present dove Is
a most interesting member Of the family
of birds which has been attracted to the
yard by the simple expedient of pro-
Nding food for them.
BY family, of course, one means the
various steady customers. These include
scores of English sparrows, two pairs
of cardinals, half a dozen blue jays
drom time to time), several titmice,
juncos, chickadees, a mockingbird, and
half dozen squirrels. The latter must
be considered as birds when it comes
to eating seeds and grains, especially
sunfloWer seeds. Also there is a pair of
nuthatcheS. These comprise the steady
feeders but so far this season we have
had no starlingS at all. Other persons
have noted the same phenomenon. Last
Winter scores of these big birds visited
most feeding places. No doubt the mild
open Winter-at least to the middle of
January-affords plenty of natural feed
for such strong birds, among the most
capable and beautiful flyers of them all.
Few birds have more mastery of them
selves on the wing than the starlings,
and their evolutions as if one bird are
extremely interesting and beautiful to
watch.
The turtle dove may seem clumsy but
really he is a very capable and smooth
aviator. What gives him an air of
awkardness, at times is his rather large
body, set so close to the ground, and the
powerful beat of his wings on take
off"
Most birds, even large ones. are able
to get of the ground more easily.
The dove fairly creaks as he arises.
This creaking sound is easily heard
from the house. 1t is augmented by the
suddeness of it.
The turtle dove is not "scary" bird,
and seemingly refuses to leave the
ground where it feeds, until absolutely
necessary.
Bands of sparroWS, feeding with it
they are great pals-will fly away as one
bird at the first sound of danger, but
the dove stands his ground, and will not
leave until he thinks entirely necessary.
When he starts, however, he leaves
at once, and with such a creaking of his
wings, as they beat the air. that the
casual observer might think him an
extremely clumsy fellow.
Watch him in the air. and see that
his powerful aids to flight carry him
high over the housetops. 1t is always
an interesting thing. in bird watching,
to realize suddenly just how far aloft
the little fellows can go. The watcher in
time tends to feel that the ground, not
the air, is where they belong, so in
terested does he become in watching
them. But any sudden alarm. such as
hawk, shows him which really is the
natural element of bird life. How they
soar. so confident, so capable, and how
truly clumsy they make man-made
planes seem in comparison!