davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-10-16
THIS AND THAT
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1DeH.

"The cuckoo tribe as a whole is a
group of birds. They range in size from
little, brilliantly colored birds, only or
inches in length, to large crow and
grouse-li like birds of the Old World.
Many species closely resemble, in
plumage, habits and voice, other totally
unrelated birds and even mammals.
There are hawk cuckoos, shrike cuckoos,
grouse cuckoos, pheasant cuckoos and
squirrel cuckoos.
More than half of the species are
parasitic, laying their eggs in the nests
OF other birds, and leaving the care of
the eggs and the young to the foster
parents.
"Others build nests but lay the eggs
at considerable intervals, so that the
young are Matched some days apart"
continues this writer. The more north
ern species are migratory, but those of
warmer climes are resident
Some are arboreal, others strictly ter
restial like the road-runner of the
Southwestern United States. Cuckoos
have two toes in front and two behind.
The young are Matched naked and there
is no downy Stage, the first plumage
appearing early as tightly rolled pin
feathers"
DR.. Roberts says that the two common
North American cuckoos are summer
residents and are more like normal birds.
They are" he states, 'plain-colored,
slender birds of shy and elusive habit,
rarely seen but often heard. They build
their own nests, shabby though they may
be, and care for their eggs and young,
often feeding them on live caterpillars
THE calls of the two cuckoos are very
similar-a series of kow, kow notes, slow
ing down at the finish. Cuckoos are val
liable birds economically, as nearly half
of their food is caterpillars, with many
other injurious insects in addition"
Popular names for the yelloW-b billed
cuckoo are rain crow, rain dove, storm
crow, choW-chow and kow-kow.
The last two are from the call. but why
the bird was named crow is another mat
ter. Since there is no resemblance be-
tween crows and these cuckoos,
especially in coloration, it must be to
the fancied resemblance between the
calls of the two species.
Farmers believe that when they hear
this cuckoo it means rain, hence the
name of rain crow, or dove, and storm
crow
A favorite food of the yellow-billed
cuckoo is the tent caterpillar, so-called.
Ornithologists, examining the stom-
achs of these birds, counted $50 tent
caterpillars in one and 217 heads of the
| fall webworm in another.
The white spots almost the size of
a dime" of which our correspondent
| speaks, are the white tips to the tail
| feathers. AS seen from above, looking
down on the gray-brown back these
! white spots appear almost scalloped
Evening star., 1940-10-16
October Duys

Remember the chilly dawn when roCf5
were white.
With frosts first etching; when the suns
slant light
Cleaned on the thousand jewels on the
lawn
Which drenched your booted feet when
you had gone
To milk the waiting COWS down by the
bars?
Il strained the foam topped milk In
earthen jars)
You cut the ripened corn, each row and
stalk,
To stand with heavy ears in wen-braced
shock;
Gathered the pumpkins wealth, Q golden
hoard;
Piled high the winters wood in seasoned
cord.
We tramped the Gypsy woods where
naples burned;
Along that half-forgotten road which
turned ..
Back to the fields Where hickories
dropped their shells,
And on the hazy air the far sheep bells
Made of the arching trees a columned
church.
Called us to worship under beach and
birch. IVY L1NDsLEY.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
SILVER SPRING, Md.

Dear Sir:
Being regular reader of your column
and noting that you have often classified
birds wondered if you could help me
classify one I saw yesterday.
The bird was quite high up in the
tree and appeared to be eating cater
pillar He was quite large, at least IL
inches long, with keen-looking black
eyes, very yellow bill, Slightly curved;
body oySter-White underneath from bill
to end, having the soft appearance and
coloring of the nuthatch; under the tail
was dark with white spots almost the
size of a dime
"Inasmuch as he was SO very high up,
could not get much of his upper color
ing, but judge it was medium brown.
Il have looked through all my bird
books and the only one can find close
to the description of this bird is the
yellow-billed cuckoo, but have never
heard of them in this section.
'"Thank you for any information you
can give me.
Very truly yours, G. c. c."
Undoubtedly it was the yellow billed
cuckoo.
OF the four species of cuckoo found
in North America, two find their way
to the District of Columbia and vicinity.
These are the yellow-bilIe and black
billed species The former is much more
often seen. The black billed cuckoo is
classed as a fairly common migrant and
a rare summer visitant. If seen at all,
it is observed usually sometime between
the last of April and the last of Octo-
ber, but more often from the first week
in May to the last in September.
The yelloW-billed cuckoo is a common
summer resident, said to be frequently
observed in the shade trees of the city.
We do not imagine that many cuckoos
will be seen hereabouts nowadays. We
know that We have seen none in 10
years of observation in Chevy Chase,
Nd once held to have the greatest bird
population in the United States.
YeiloW-billed cuckoos have been OBJ
served in the District from the first
week in May through the first week in
October. The latest one has ever been
seen here was october 13, but that does
not mean there could not be few days
of variation.
Birds seen in October undoubtedly are
migrants going South.
They are shy birds, and frequent the
tops of trees, where they feed upon cater
pillars.
DR.. Thomas S. Roberts, in Bird Por-
traits on Color" issued by the University
of Minnesota. has this to say on the
American cuckoos:
The cuckoos are a numerous and
widely distributed family varying greatly
in external appearance and in habits
Some 200 species and subspecies are
recognized, but only four species are
found regularly in North America.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
New Election Probe

Creation of a special unit in the
Justice Department to investigate
election irregularities should enable
the department to deal promptly and
effectively with cases where prosecu
tion is warranted.
Widespread complaints led to the
conclusion that additional machinery
was needed to cope with violations
of Federal statutes covering political
activities, according to Attorney Cen
eral Jackson, and the result was the
establishment of the new agency in
charge of Maurice M. Milligan,
militant United States attorney for
the western district of Missouri.
This move will bring the Justice
Department into a field already
occupied by the Senate Campaign
Expenditures Investigating Commit
tee, and while conflict and duplicated
efforts customarily are products OF
such a situation, there is no reason
In this instance to anticipate that
the two groups will do otherwise than
complement each others work. The
department is announcing policy of
sfair and impartial investigation of
complaints of substance" and be-
Heves prosecution will be facilitated
because the unit in charge of the
inquiry will be able to carry right
through with the court action,
Enjoying an advantage over the Sen
ate committee in this respect. 1t
expects also, in cooperating with the
Senate probers, to be kept informed
Of developments which indicate
criminal prosecution is called for, so
that corrective action may be taken
promptly. The Senate inquiry will
not be curtailed, for the committee
is concerned not only with uncover
Ing election frauds, but also with
making communications for legisla-
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Relates Experience
On Streetcar.
October 8.

To the Editor Of The Star:
Many good citizens are unwittingly
aiding fifth columnists and every true
American should be working to avoid
totalitarian-minded spokesmen.
Recently I overheard pro-Nad con-
versation in a streetcar-a stranger en-
gagged in conversation with fellow pas
senger. His suspicious line of talk in
part included berating the President OF
the United States and the editorials OF
The Star as being pro-British. My first
impulse in true American fashion and in
no uncertain plain Anglo-Saxon was to
speak up. But it so happened that I
was reading an article in Octobers issue
of Readers Digest, entitled Eyes, We
Have Fifth Columnists," by Edmond
Taylor, which told how to recognize
and ayoid aidins-enemies IN our midst.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Police Retirement

1t is to be regretted that President
Roosevelt has seen fit to sign, with
out a word of protest, an act which
will impose upon District of Co.
lumbia taxpayers the unfair re-
sponsibility of contributing to the
retirement funds for Secret Service
agents. This extraordinary provision
is contained in legislation which was
introduced originally for the purpose
of permitting members of the Metro
politan Police Department. and OF
the Fire Department to retire on half
pay when they have reached the age
of fifty-fve years and have been
employed twenty-five years in the
District service. The measure was
amended by Senator Barkley to
bring members of the Secret Service
on duty at the White House within
the retirement provisions, despite
the fact that these agents have no
connection with the District Gov
ernment, are in no wise responsible
to the Commissioners and receive
their salaries direct from the Treas
ury Department, which has juriSdic-
ton over them.
While the number of Secret Serv-
ice men who would be eligible to
take advantage of the retirement
plan now or in the near future is
believed to be small, it is unsound
in principle and unjust in practice
to saddle the District with the re-
tirement costs of Federal agents. Mr..
Roosevelt may have felt that the
amount Of money involved was too
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Registration Day

The significance of October Is,
1910, in the history of the United
States already must be appreciated
the world around. Especially among
the aggressor nations it should be
understood that the registration of
American manhood today is, in
effect, an acceptance of the challenge
flung down to Western democracy by
the dictatorS. In no more drastic
fashion could notice be served upon
Hitler and MusSolini and their allies
that their conquestS are resented by
the Government and the citizens of
the one country above all others
they ought to fear.
It Is obvious to thoughtful observ-
ers in Washington, surely, that the
United States now is entering upon
a new pattern of action. While to-
days census of men of military age
is being taken it may be we'll to re-
member that the Army which is to
result from the Selective Service Act
signed by President Roosevelt on
September 16 will be force which
no other power can match in this
hemisphere.
No tyrant planning attack upon
any geographical portion or legiti-
mate interest of Pan-America need
dare in the future to presume upon
the continued tolerance of the United
States. When the new legislation
has borne its intended fruit of ma
chimes and materiel as well as men
trained and ready for combat there
will be no equal to its strength on
earth. Such a dynamic is not to be
created for nothing. Instead, it is
with solemn determination to employ
it effectively that todays registrantS
submit themselves to conscription.
Their earneStneSs is self-evident.
Only that their flag and all that for
which it stands may be safe do they
give up the freedom and comfort of
civilian life.
certainly, the men registering to-
day will be soldiers, not politicians. 1t
will be part of their glory that they
have but one single ideal-the pro-
lection of the way of life which they
recognize as their inheritance. The
army to which they are to belong
Is an army of citizens. 1t will stand
firm in that purpose. Drawn from
every class, representing every con-
dition, these men are dedicated to
a chivalry as noble as any the sun
ever has seen.
From the experience of their train
Ing the drafted soldiers will return
to civil engagements advantaged in
mind and body. They will have given
themselves to the society in which
In years to come they always will
be honored members, and they will
have the right to claim that, having
contributed to its welfare and safety,
they are entitled to a fair and equit-
able share of its benefits.
-. Let it be added that registrants in
the District of Columbia should have
a special right to demand the polit-
ical and fiscal equity hitherto denied
them because of their residence in
the Nations Capital.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

1 took my pencil and underscored this
passage in the article-"There is a big
difference between fifth column propa-
ganda and British propaganda. England
naturally wants to obtain the greatest
possible support in the war. But Eng
land is not interested in undermining
our Government or institutions An
American who becomes pro-British does
not become anti-American; one who
becomes pro-Nazi does"
I handed my marked copy to the VIC
tim of the pro-Nazi propagandist He
read it with smile-and said, II thought
so. I, too, am an American" We got
off together. ERNEST C. RICK,
October TO-
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Ajax Acts Aquin


engagement last Saturday between
the redoubtable cruiser Ajax and
two squadrons of Italian warships
southeast of Sicily, coupled with
Rome reports that the giant British
liners Queen Mary and Mauretania
| have been conveyed successfully
| through the Mediterranean, loaded
with troops, gives renewed evidence
that the Italian fleet is unable to
rule Mare Nostrum."
Once again His Ma1esty's famous
| fighting ship bearing the name of
the legendary warrior who knew not
how to speak, only to act" is nursing
wounds received in open battle with
the enemy Last December she
played a gallant role in the historic
running fight in the South Atlantic
with the German pocket battleShip
Graf Spec, which later was Scuttled
in the River Plate. Two of her
turretS were knocked aSkeW by the
heavier guns of the Graf Spec Al
though her main batteries no longer
were able to speak, she continued
to act in concert with her comrades,
the cruisers Achilles and Exeter, until
the Spec fled into Uruguayan waters.
Her latest triumph came while she
was serving as an advance scout of
Britain's main Mediterranean fleet
in one of its periodic cruises of what
Italy likes to call her sea-" Just
before dawn she spotted three Italian
destroyers and with her more power
full guns, soon had sunk two Of them
and caused the third to flee. A short
while later she spied two other enemy
destroyers, engaged them and put
both to flight, after badly damaging
one of them. A few minutes later
the Ajax saw third Italian squad
ron consisting of a heavy cruiser and
several destroyerS, but these, the
British assert, lost no time in getting
away from there. To the credit of
the Italians it must be pointed out
that the ships which did elect to
fight rather than run were, individ-
ually, no match in armament for the
eight-inch gunned Ajax. What is
really significant about these con-
flictS, however, is that the main
Italian fleet was conspicuously absent
from the fray, although the Italian
Navy is painfully aware of the fact
that the British fleet has been court
ing an engagement by ranging from
one end of the sea to the other 1t
is interesting, moreover, to learn
from Italian sources of rumorS that
large British transport ships are
plying the Mediterranean without
serious interference from the Italian
Navy. And if additional evidence of
British domination of "Italy'S sea" is
needed, there are the news reports
of the naval bombardment of Italian
land positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt;
the attack on the port of Savona,
near Genoa, by British submarine,
and the sinking of several Italian
supply ships in scattered locations.
| Britain's control of the Mediterra-
mean Sea is a factor which must be
giving the dictatorS grave concern in
connection with their current move
ment into the Balkans and their
supposed plans for major drive in
turbulent Southeastern Europe.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

small to warrant his vetoing the
whole bill, but he should have made
it plain, when he affixed his signature
to it, that he did not approve the
policy of compelling the District of
Columbia to pay for the retirement
of Secret Service or any other law
enforcement officers whose salaries
are not paid from District funds.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

A survey by a widely read weekly
magazine discloses the fact that
there is one American bank which
possesses no fewer than seventy-four
vice presidents. All it has to do to
help out in the emergency is bring
this company up to war strength and
offer it entire to Uncle Sam.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor must
bear the name and address OF
the ,Driter, although the use OF
pSeudonynl for publication is
permissible. The Star reserves
the right to edit all letters Uith
q Uie1D to condensation.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Sees Need for Return
To Established Principles.

Fifth column propagandists are now
at work giving the impression that for
adequate national defense we should re-
elect the present indispensable crew."
To my mind, however, our first line
of defense is moral and spiritual return
to our established, tried and true form
of government as well as military and
physical preparedness-free from the
jaZ-crazed ideas of totalitarinism now
being foisted upon our benumbed voters.
October !. A PATRIOT.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

A presumably demented man
caught prowling in a Chicago grave
yard explained that he wanted to
dig up Fitzsimmons, the old-time
heavyweight. HeartlesS promoters
and managers have been known to
put into the ring fighters almost as
far gone as Ruby Robert.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
October IA.
New Car Platform
EndangerS Lives.

To the Editor of The Star:
Believing that you are interested in
the protection of life and limb among our
fellow beings I invite you down to Maine
avenue and o street S.W. to see the
traffic hazard they are erecting in the
way of loading platform for passengers.
1t is right in line of traffic that auto
mobiles cannot miss, thus endangering
the lives of those waiting for cars.
October 10. MASON e. TAYLOR.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

Germany and Italy, it is stated,
have agreed as to just what world
area is to be under the leadership of
Soviet Russia. Curious-we had an
idea that Uncle Joe" Stain liked to
decide such little matters for him
self
Evening star., 1940-10-16

The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to
the for republication of all news dispatches
credited to it or not otherwise credited in this
paper and also the local news published herein
All rights Of publication of special dispatches
herein also are reserved
Evening star., 1940-10-16
A Fine Dictionary
For q Quarter

Has more words in common use than
Shakespeare. Every member Of every
family will find this to be a valuable
book to have in the home and Office
Has special supplements containing new
words, standard abbreviations, foreign
words and phrases, common errors,
curious word origins, words derived from
persons and places, short words, long
words, and official guide to compound
ing. Contains 382 pages of text. Printed
on Bible paper and bound in pliable
imitation leather. To secure your copy
inclose 25 cents in coin. wrapped in this
clipping, and mail to The Star Informa =
ton Bureau.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

@. Can We actually see steam?-E. D.
A. Steam cannot be seen. 1t is an in
visible gas The white cloud that rises
when water boils results from the con-
densation of the water vapor.
Q. Name three States that are of the
same average slew. de M.
A. Three of nearly the same size are:
West Virginia, 56o66 square miles; Idaho
Sc ,665, and Indiana, 56l47.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

Name.
Street.
----------------
City.
State.
Evening star., 1940-10-16
Member of the Associated Press.

Entered as second-class matter post once.
Washington D. c.
Evening star., 1940-10-16

A reader can get the ansUer to any
question OF fact by toriting The Epe-
ming Star Information Bureau, Fred
eric J. Hasktn, director, Washington,
D. c. Please inclose stamp for reply.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-09-06
HOW SEW
A~ Ruth Wyeh Spears o9p

something for q man, woman or
child.
Everything you need to know to
make this bag Is given in the
sketch. These directions are not
In any Of the booklets, so be sure
to clip them. There Is also an in
teresting laundry and shoe door
pocket in Book 4. An easy-to-
make garment bag illustrated In
Book /. and twin pockets for 4
pantry door in Book 3, solve the
problem Of what to do with clean
and soiled tea towels. All these
closet accessories make grand GIFT
and bazaar items.
The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-09-06
TRAILER GIRL
BY VERA BROWN
W1JU Service

took their leave. Rene asked Wild
to come again.
Back In the studio the departure
Of the two men Left q trained n.
lence. Lynn turned to the little
6tchenette to prepare something for
Rene.
Look at me. Lynn. Ii Austin In
love with youf"
"O course not, Rene"
You'd tell me II you were. You
promised"
"0 course I'd tell YOU"
Rene walked restlessly about the
studio AZ Lynn went back to her
work. He went over and looked
down at the painting he had done of
Lynn. It was good, and Austin
had known Immediately. Just a. he.
Rene, had known.
When Lynn had his supper ready,
he could not eat much. But abe
sat across from him, just as she had
in the old trailer days, and Rene
was happy for q little. Lynn tried
not to watch the clock. She knew
Wild would be waiting at 8.
At last, she got away, unconscious
OF the misery in Rene's eyes. She
ran down the long fight Of stairs,
breathless when she got into the
street.
Il thought you were never COM
ing" Wild said as he opened the
car door. "Where tor"
1T doesn't matterl" Lynn's voice
was gay. She was with Wild and
quite happy, 50 the evening passed.
Lynn, once she was In her room
alone, did not turn on the light,
but went to the window and sat
down before 1t. There In her shah
by little room life had seemed pref
ty wonderful, to her. There had
seemed some security. Tonight, she
was troubled. Something in Rene's
face worried her. He looked very
Ill. He was working too hard. But
1t seemed more than that.