Evening star., 1938-03-07

A correspondent who properly enough
signs himself Starting 8. Sparrow has q
few pertinent remarks to make.
Dear Sir: Your column has been fair
enough in allowing the sparrow and
startling a say in this matter Of like
and dislike.
Il for one can't help feeling that at
the very worst any cry that can be raised
against these two birds Of city habitat
arises from the goodly number In which
they flourish.
Those who are voicing argument
against the two on the charge that birds
more pleasing to the human eye and
ear are being driven away are at a loss
for proof, it seems to me.
MY opinion herein Is of necessity that
Of but one individual, and grant that
another person would in the human run
Of things have another opinion. Yet,
then, for my own individual say, offer
that to destroy the sparrow and the
startling would leave the city proper, in
the sense In which we people Of Wash
ington know 1t, just as birdless as an
aquarium.
II can't convince myself that the an
sWer to the question that follows would
be in the affirmative; and that is to ask,
would there for q fact be song SPAR
rows, bluebirds, nuthatches, titmice and
kinglets to move to town and city in
the event the sparrows and starlings
were to move out under forceful per-
suasion Of man? Nature study texts
seem to hint a negative answer.
Man did not make the country, nor
did he place the birds there. Man did
make the town and the city, and in SO
doing he drove away the birds of fancy
tunes and fancy plumes, because there
was no room left for them. these birds of
open spaces; these birds of field, of
groves, of thickets, and of woodland
ponds and brooks.
TO serve my point let 1t be added
that cardinals, bluejays goldfinches and
thrushes, to name few choice birds of
choice notes and choice coats, outnum-
ber the sparrows and the starlings by
five to one in, say. Rock Creek Park.
These wild birds are in the country
by Natures first ordaining, by instinct,
and by necessary choice. There are some
OF such species to be seen in the larger
parks even in the midst of town, but
they'll not venture more than q block
down the strips of cement streetway, for
the sights they meet don't mean home
to them. "A leopard can't change his
spots and cardinal can't nest in q
lamp post.
THE Startling doesn't drive the robin
away. six months out of twelve, any
more than the English sparrow keeps
the song sparrows hidden along the tow
path Of the canal.
Upon consulting Nature guide we
can learn that the surest chance to see
and hear song sparrow at his best is
to 60 to neighborhood of brooks and
ponds. which are bordered with bushes;
and is there any one to question that in
such locale we can find the song SPAR
row every time We look and listen for
him?
Equally true. we find the flocks of
bluebirds even today in these very same
fields of second growth that are mem
toned in Nature writings as the haunt
OF the bluebirds for many, many, many
OF their generations.
But even when we find the song
sparrow in his country abode, he is
quick to shy away at the sight of us
and yet with not an English sparrow or
starting at any point within miles
around to strike fear in his trembling
breast.
Most of the so-called desirable birds
have grown to be desirable for the very
reason that they make themselves so by