Evening star., 1944-07-19
This and That
By Charles E. TracemeH.
"CHESTNUT STREET NV


Dear Sir:
Here is not only confirmation of last
nights interesting story of Jack Spar
rows paternalism, but further proof of
his altruism.
1T is even now happening out at the
yard feeder where a mass of soaked
stale bread is being enjoyed by thrash
ers, robins. starings, Sparrows and
others
AS looked out, busy Jack was i'm
partially stufing two futtering young
sters sitting IN the grass, like a pair of
salt cellars.
NO sooner had he finished than a
second male sparrow took his place and
continued the double stufing l thought
at first I must have mistaken the first
feeders sex, SO waited to check until
there was no doubt.
Both parents had what Emily KIM
brough terms 'densely masculine chests
tonly she WAS not referring to feathered
BIRDS.
"A mother robin is attending a full
sized baby which seems able only to hop
just ahead Of one. Consequently, Butch.
the cat, must keep to his pen, where he
is put each night in the interests of
early bird feeders.
Sincerely. M. J. r. r.
Evidently these sparrows did not
recognize their own offspring.
Some birds do, some do not
Gulls are said to be able to tell their
own babies from all the thousands of
young ones on beach
Penguin babies it is reported. can
pick their own parents from the hun
dreds of others.
Not all birds, evidently, have this
ability, but probably most of them do.
Blue jays know their own when they
nave fallen out OF the nest, and follow
them around, bringing food wherever
they are
Probably not enough praise has been
given this handsome bird in this re-
Spect
One summer blue jay baby fell out
OF the nest in tree which was one OF
the adornments of back yard in front
OF which home was being built.
The baby fell or fluttered down into
the window well of one of the basement
windows.
The jays brought it food there, and
when the baby was taken inside the
window by well-meaning humans they
came and set up great fuss
When the baby was placed in a shrub
at the rear of the yard, away from the
movement of the builders the parent
jays came to it and brought it food.
X
Species victimized by the coWbird.
which place its eggs in their nest. 20 right
ahead feeding the large cowbird young
to the exclusion of their own.
Recently we watched a song sparrow
mother feed cowbird baby four times
her own size. What became of her owA
babies may be imagined
1t is no wonder that these birds NAV
be Victimized by the eggs, but you would
think that when the young coWbirds
Matched out they would be recognized
as aliens. But not bit of it. In fact
II the rightful babies are put into the
nest, their own mother does not know
them, and goes right ahead feeding the
imposter.
Perhaps this is not to be wondered
at in regard to creatures which do not
have what may be called knowing
brains. That is, knowing >jn the way
human minds know.
Their inteAigences are SO Supremely
based on instincts that when something
goes amiss in the ancestral ways. in
volving those instincts, the birds have
no way of checking up and knowing
right from wrong. This is mans spe-
clalty, and no creature below him in the
scale OF life can do it. Though at times
tney seem to know, in the main they
operate only as a result of action and
reaction. They miss much happiness, but
are saved much sorrow Only the Su-
preme Being who made the chain of life
can know which way is the best.