Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-09
This and That
By Charles E. TraceDeH.
BETHESDA. MD.

Several hundred chimney svifts. or
possibly swallows, have been dodgers in
the chimney that leads from the fur
mace Of my house. On cleaning out
at the base Of the chimney I found be-
tween six and seven gallons of their
droppings, the top Of which were wet
and sticky. All this accumulated during
few weeks Of this season.
would like to know, If you can tell
me, now the dodgers on the lower courses
managed to survive the flow of filth
that apparently would be descending on
them from the upper courses.
Yours very truly, j. s. T."
Birds are not as fastidious as humans.
Nature has equipped them not only with
oiled feathers, but also with obtuse
minds
Swallows no doubt become soiled, in
such closely packed quarters, but there
are so many hundreds of them that the
eJecta Is widely distributed. Thus no
one bird would suffer much.
Filth Is not filth, in nature. It Is
just material, and good material at that
as every gardener knows.
"A hopping Of those wings the next
morning, bit of preening, and the
swallow coat Is as good as new.
We would advise this correspondent
to have . suitable screen put over the
chimney next season. This Is q good
thing. In any event, as it keeps leaves
out as well.
Birds often fly down chimneys, and
come out IN Easements One CORE
spondent told US q horrible story of a
sparrow falling down and being found
at the back Of the firebed after the
nre was started. 1t was badly singed,
and died shortly thereafter.
Many householders are superstitious.
as who Is not, and do not like q bird in
the home. This fear probably goes
back to the idea that bird represents
the soul, and that If one is in the house.
where it ought not to be, it means that
some one in the household will die. the
bird representing the soul in flight.
Cases in which this sad event s,,bse-
quently took place are cherished, where
as the thousands Of times nothing hap
pened are forgotten.
bedbugs are parasites of chimney
swallows or swifts, and this fact, If none
otner, should make one eager to keep
them out Of chimneys The modern
hue, too, is too narrow, in many in
stances, for the safe harborage of any,
thing in the flying line. In the South.
where chimneys are very large and wide,
tney leave every morning with a great
noise, said to resemble thunder. Oc-
casionally one bird will get down the
chimney, and fly out into the bedrooms
thereby depoSiting SCOT on the walls and
furnishings.
Several years ago we printed here
letters from persons much upset by
visits OF the swallows. One lady had
her home almost ruined by them. It is
said that when a fire is built in such a
chimney, the glue which holds the nests
TO the Chimney Is melted, and down
comes the nest babies and all.
Swallows are said to be able to fly
1000 miles In "a hours, which is fiyinp.
even by modern standards.
1t Is interesting to recall that this Is
one OF the birds whose annual disap-
pearance gave rise to the old theory
OF annual Information Of birds. Even
until recent years swallows were thought
70 pass the cold season in a torpid state
IN hollow trees, caves and even frozen
IN the mud Of marshes. Today it is
Deneved that chimney swallows winter
In Brazil.
Some authorities dispute the posses
sion Of bedbugs by the swallows. and
assert that the parasites they carry are
not bedbugs, but certain other insects
which die when separated from their
hosts
Wndbirds have no proper place In q
house or its attachments. Out In the
trees and garden Is the place for them,
and there they may be enjoyed, whereas
any closer approach tends to put them
"a the nuisance class, along with Invade
ms spddefs. csnttpsdaA reaches. silver.
0Gh a0d maea.