Evening star., 1944-12-09
This and That
By Charles E. Trnce,ueu.

Among the unsung heroes of the
washington scene in wartime are the
common pigeons and the English SPAR
rows, all Of which do a good Job as
scavengers during labor shortage.
Our streets would be in far worse
condition if 1t were not for the con-
slant vigilance Of these birds in trying
to find something to eat. Nothing on
the streets escapes their probing bills.
Every small object is sampled, to see
If 1t is good to eat. Anything with pro-
tein or carbohydrate in it is consumed.
Thus the streets are rid of the matter
which would become most offensive
We were watching pigeon the other
day. He went over the entire street
from curb to curb, turning up and try
Ing each bit of material. Not much
escaped him. His ability at lodging
cars ana trucks was really marvellous.
At times he would go along the cross
walk with his head bobbing and a
large, downy feather nodding just above
his nose. This, one might suspect. was
not a common pigeon.
Most of our downtown streets have
a few pigeons. These seem to build up
favorite hunting grounds, so that the
overflow of these birds from the small
parks and various squares insures
thorough street cleaning of possible de-
caying matter
1t must not be forgotten that these
birds give great deal of simple pleas
ure to many persons. Not only in the
parks, but also on the street. Just
below Chevy Chase Circle there often
is seen a flock of pigeons answering
the call of one who buys food for them
at nearby store.
These pigeons are all named by the
man, and he calls them one by one
Sally, Mary, Jane, Hortense, Mabel, Dot
these and many others answer to their
names, or at least seem to, to the casual
observer.
Every one has seen others feeding the
pigeons and squirrels in the parks.
O1ten these birds are the only outlet
Dtor fr1endlinesS left for some elderly
man or woman whose human friends
have died out one by one.
The English sparrows no longer domi-
nate the downtown scene, as they once
did, but there still are enough of them
left to afford a good object lesson for
any moralizer on the way one NAV
wrest living from difficulty, provided
Certainly few species have been ira
duced as have these plain brown birds.
but little has been said, except in cer-
tain quarters, in their praise. Their
cheerfulness is worthy of note. Ger
tainly the cheerful chickadee" of the
popular song is no better optimist than
the average English sparrow.
Despite the dirt which dulls his hand
some feathers in the downtown areas,
the same dirt which is found in ofice
drawers and on the top Of desks If the
cleanup boys and girls fail to come
around, the English sparrow is a fine
specimen OF natures ability to COM
bine good qualities with bad.
Both sparrows and pigeons are fear-
less IN the downtown areas. They
have to be, Of course. The same birds,
II by chance they should find their way
to the suburbs and to feeding station,
would ny up and away at the first
opening Of door, but in the busy
trafnc lanes they must be fearless or
get nothing to eat
Hence they work up q lack of fear
which permits them to remain looking
tor food while hundreds of feet pass
within inches.
There are remarkably few things in
the way of food which downtown bird
will turn down. We have watched them
eat oranges and other fruits thrown
away by careless passersby.
Small restaurants and drugstore cor
ners are good centers for pigeons and
sparrows looking for food, since many
customers come out eating and often
throw away some small bit.
One may wonder, at times, whether
many Of the piles Of crumbs may not
have been the deliberate scatterings of
thoughtful persons who realize what q
hard time these birds have OF earning
their living on concrete. It Is cheerful
to feel that there are some people WILL
ing to do good without publicity.