Evening star., 1944-07-05
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeH.
UNITED STATES

Dear Sir: ------
One doesn't have to go to the sub
urbs, I f1nd, to observe a good many
blrds. For instance, a pair of cardinals
have nest In a mighty vine that grows
in the spacious yard of the red brick
house occupied by the Federal Housing
Agency at Sixteenth and I streets. The
male perches atop the highest of the
four chimneys every morning and signs
out:
"Whew, tu tu, tu.'
Usually, he sings about IS minutes,
repeating his performance occasionally
until noon time. I have never heard
him in the afternoon.
The red brick house, which SO many
thousands pass daily without noticing it
particularly, Is rare. piece Of architec-
ture, having an intricate brick design,
The architect was Richardson of Boston.
who designed the twin homes of John
Hay and Henry Adams, which stood so
many years at Sixteenth and H streets,
until demolished to make way for a
hotel. All of the homes followed a
similar distinctive pattern.
Mr.. Redbird is singing his head of
now, as I write.
Sincerely, B. H. L."
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE.
Dear Sir:
THE other day at the Treasury an
mex squirrel got in the elevator at the
top floor and rode all the way down
with the elevator man. Then when he
opened the door, the animal walked out
and through the front door as nicely as
you please.
In the same building a SQUIRREL
maybe 1t was the same one-hopped
from tree to window sill, dashed into
an ONCE and grabbed a girls bag of
lunch and would not let co. She tugged
and he tugged and finally the squirrel
made lunge and capered away with
the lunch. And the girl had to sit in
her window and watch him eating her
lunch out on limb. At least this was
the way the story was told to me.
Very truly, M. c. B."
There can be no question about the
downtown being good place for nature
study Though there are no longer any
horses to speak Of, the business sec
ton is full Of squirrels. and some dogs
and cats. The birds downtown number
perhaps 20 species, with English SPAR
rows and starlings predominating, al
though many other species, including
cardinals, song sparrows and others have
been noticed, including brown creeper.
The status of a wandering dog In the
downtown areas often excites the COM
passion Of friends of these animals. The
traffic is against it, and at times 1t does
not seem to know where to 60. There is
nothing more pitiful than to see such
dog stop and look into a store door, as
If wondering whether his friends could
be within.
Certainly an owner is very negligent
who permits his dog to wander in the
downtown. especially during the heavy
traffic periods.
The downtown cat has q different
status. It is more used to the environ
ment, and seems more fitted to 1t. Most
OF the cats stay indoors during the day,
and hence miss the worst Of the trafic.
1t Is only now and then that q friend of
these animals will have the sorrow of
seeing one which has been run over In
the business section.
Mostly these animals keep close to
the stores and ofi1ces they inhabit, COM
Ing out at night to explore. Now and
then one will see a cat outside q build
Ing, summing itself. Usually it is very
dirty. Nothing better can be expected
OF a cat in the downtown, since it is
very dirty there, as any ONCE worker
knows on the mornings the janitor for
got to dust. 1t is impossible for a cat
to keep itself clean under such condi-
tionS.
The many trees which still remain in
downtown Washington insure the pres
ence Of thousands Of birds and squirrels.
A few hummingbirds may be seen, now
and then. and meadowlarks and sulls
come to the lower park areas. Persons
who eat their lunch In the parks should
spend little time looking for the birds.
A piece & sandwich may work wonders.
sauA n