Evening star., 1944-08-02
This and That
By Charles Z. TrdceueH.
"BETHEsDA. Md

Dear Sir:
Il Just want to remind people that
squirrels, and also chipmunks, destroy
Japanese beetles.
Early in the season we watched them
dig small holes in the sod and extract
the white grubs.
Nov they climb on the rose arbor
and eat the beetles
Sincerely, E. c. NJ"
In time we believe that many birds
and some animals will take up the jap
anese beetles as food. Already thrash
ers, English sparrows. starlings and
flickers have been seen eating them.
Perhaps it is just another case of
working up taste for them. The shell
of this beetle is pretty hard to crack.
but not much more so than that of the
cicadas, or "seventeen-year locusts,"
which were such favorites with the birds.
1t must be remembered that the jap
anese beetle is a comparative newcomer
to these shores. The birds and small
animals have to discover that they are
good to eat
Sometimes cats, for instance, will not
eat salmon at first. They will shy away
from it as if it were something quite
horrible. In time, however. they take a
taste-and from then on become con-
f1rmed salmon fans"
Birds OF course. have their own ways
of deciding which beetles are good eat
ing
They will pick up some ugly, Shiny old
beetle from under . stone and leave
alone very handsome one which would
seem to the human eye to be better food.
1t may be that feeding the birds keeps
them from going to town on insect
pests. Probably to some extent this is
true. The well-fed bird is not 50 likely
to hunt around for natural food, either
insects or weed seeds.
This will not mean that they give over
such hunting completely. It Is too
natural, for one thing, and then such
food has a fresh taste which dry seeds
and grains never can have.
Probably only the English sparrows
may be kept entirely from searching out
the insects and seeds inimical to the
interests of man.
These sparrows are opportunists. II
food is available they will eat it, and If
there is enough Of 1t they will not
bother to hunt up many insects.
These remarks do not apply to any
Of the birds at nesting time.
Small insects are the natural food of
all baby birds. whether seed eaters or in.
sect eaters. They provide them the pro-
tein necessary for continuous growth.
The parent birds know this by or in their
instincts. They get the right sort of
food without thinking about it, at least
In the human sense
They catch insects, make them into a
pulp and take them back to the nest.
Often to supply the young with enough
food they must 60 without themselves.
and often become very thin and ragged
looking.
1t is q great help to birds nesting in
yard II little ground meat can be put
out for them each evening. Some time
between 6 o'clock and dusk is about
right.
This will give the parents a rest in
catching insects, and also will give them
little wholesome food on their own ac-
count. which they may eat without feel
ing that they are depriving their young.
It Is impossible. in watching creature
eat. whether 1t be bird. dog, cat, squirrel
or hsh, not to feel that its reactions are
much the same as those of q human
being at mealtime. Perhaps they do
not say. "Oh, boyl" when the food is
brought on, but without doubt they
think it. This Is one Of the reasons why
feeding the birds In the home yard is
such . pleasant task. It gives Us one
flrm link to creatures with whom We
have no ether naAana ~ cfgynyns1,nte - 49,.