Evening star., 1944-06-29
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce,UelI.
"OGLETHORPE STREET.

OJLE 1 ldOREE SlHEEl.
Dear Sir:
"At this time of year, when some of
your correspondents are complaining
about the rude behavior of blue jays
ct al, it might be good idea to remind
them OF what the noted biologist, Sir
Peter Chalmers Mitchell, has to say
relative to this and related problems:
Those who resent the occasional
devastations of their fruit gardens and
seed beds should remember that human
life would be almost intolerable and the
toll of the gardener and farmer almost
futile were it not for the destruction of
insects and their larvae which is the
work of birds engaged in feeding their
young
This is from The Childhood of AMI
mails page l59. incidentally, those of
your readers who don't know this fasci-
mating book might like to know that it
is available in 25-cent edition, Peli-
can book, but procurable now from Pen
gum Books, Inc.
"As native Minnesotan I am always
proud when you refer to DR.. Thomas
Roberts books.
Sincerely, NIL. F."
This astute reader got ahead of us
on Sir Peters charming book We re-
Gently picked it up while looking for a
good detective story and thought to
parade some of its treasures in due time.
The Childhood of Animals" is not as
easy to read as who done-it." but it
will reward all persons who are inter-
ested in animals and birds The chap
ters were originally lectures, and par
take a bit of the dryness inherent in
all lectures even when designed for
children. The author says in his preface
tnat he had thought to entitle the COL
lection "A Philosophy of Youth in the
Animal Kingdom" but wisely let the
title alone
Whatever be the natural diet of the
adults, says Sir Peter the food of the
young is almost always animal matter.
All the soft-billed birds, which are natu-
rally nsectlvorous. most of the fruit
eaters and practically all the hard
billed seed eaters work from dawn to
dark searching for grubs, caterpillars.
maggots, worms and all manner of
creeping and flying things to feed their
hungry young
The writer here has since childhood
had weakness for paper books, that is.
books without hard covers. He was
brought up on, or rather brought him.
self up on Mick Carter" "Old King
Brady The Liberty Boys of '76," Buff
falo Bill, Tip Top Weekly" Fred
Fearnot," PLUCK and Luck" and manv
others of the so-called nickel weeklies,
Frank MerriWell, and later Dick Mer
rlWell, never did boy any harm. but
good, and the same may be said for the
rest OF those old heroes. Perhaps it is
true today Of most of the comics"
Later we read many great books in
paper jackets Years later we were
among the first to welcome the various
paper books and today many of them
hold honored places in our book
shelves. The right attitude toward them
is one of love and admiration, rather
than regarding them merely as maya
zines to be thrown away, as so MANY
people do.
A well printed and got up paper book
Is pooK as well as any, and people
VINO really love books as things treasure
| them.
Now it is possible to get hundreds Of
good titles. There is something particu-
larly chummy about detective story in
this format. For the So which a new
detective tale costs one may purchase
eight slightly older ones
Just as modern record albums have
| bright covers, so the "tWo-bit' books
make brave and colorful display in the
home book shelves. For the best effect
OF course, they must be kept by them
selves, then the different colors will
make veritable symphony in a dark
| corner, attracting the attention of anv
booklover. We know of no way in which
one may store more literature in given
shelf space. Since the success of Pen
| gum Books" in England, and Pocket
BOOKS in this country. scores of imita-
| tors have Widened the field. so that now
almost every sort of book may be pur-
chased in good print on good paper at
no more than 25 cents. And the fight
ing forces out Of this country have edi-
tlons all their own, not sold here To get
few copies of these now fabulous
| books Is the ambition of every paper
book enthusiast.