Evening star., 1937-07-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

"Dear Sir: While we are talking about
cats as bird killers. let me mention the
bluejay. one Of which kills more birds
than are killed by two cats. The blue
jay will also eat the eggs OF numerous
bird families, and is largely responsible
for depletion Of song birds in the suburbs.
The bluejay is bully, but is actually
courageous, too. and thrives like the
sparrow around human domestic estab-
hshments. He is a noisy bird. also, and
eight or ten OF him will congregate in q
large tree around o'clock in the morn
ing and deprive many light sleeper Of
his nights rest, making as much noise
as a bunch Of crows. An occasional
jay is enough.
And speaking OF crows, the startling,
in my opinion. is now worse and more
expensive pest than the crow was even
in the hey-dey of the crow. when a con-
tinuous belt of them would fly over
Washington for hours.
Il state this from observation in my
childhood and while time ordinarily
seems longer to a child than as meas
ured by adults, still I believe l am
correct.
"At this time Of year and extending
through the corn maturing season, at
least, millions of starlings are rooSting
in the Blue Ridge, sweeping across the
adjacent country during the day and
feeding on grain produced by human
labor.
Il stayed overnight at Waynesboro,
Pa, few years ago, and rising in the
early morning, I saw great clouds of
these birds, reaching far into the dis
tance, flying low across the farms rain
ing down to alight in the corn fields,
where the corn was in full tassle.
Il walked through a corn field later,
myriads Of these birds flying up at my
approach and I found the husks turned
back from the tips of the ears and nearly
one-quarter of the grain at the ends
Of ears eaten.
Il was told by the farmer that these
birds roasted on the mountains near
Blue Ridge Summit at night, and ranged
for ~ miles or more in their depreda-
tions during the day. I understand the
Startling was introduced into this coun-
try in about 1890. and that stunt is now
wasting farm products worth billions
per year. l have no doubt.
"A flock of starlings will clean the
fruit from cherry tree in very short
order. l have an idea that they eat bird
eggs and the young of other birds, but
am not informed on this.
There should be bounty on star
lings, the same as for crows, but DOS
slbly rated by the dozen instead of singly.
The bluejay should be discouraged
by bird lovers as much as possible, and
feeding devices ought to have a grill
that would exclude the jay. but allow
the smaller birds access to the food
Let us give every possible support to
any measure adopted to exterminate the
starllngs on the streets and buildings of
the city, and our food will not then be SO
expensive, even If the Government does
put up the COST Very truly, H. l.. W.
What our correspondent says about
blueJays and starlings may be true and
yet many a city and suburban bird lover
would miss them from the scene, if the
measures advocated were to be carried
into effect.
The jay, certainly.
One of the first paintings by the great
Audubon was of the bluejay, and each
bird was depicted eating an egg OF some
other bird.
No doubt with their vigor and strong
bills they manage to kill and devour
many fledgllng Of other species, too.