Evening star., 1944-07-17
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeH.
MOUNT RAINIER, MD.

MOUNT RAINIER, MD.
Dear Sir:
"A relative of mine has been advised
by his doctor to spend a great deal of
time in the open He feels that study
OF the trees, plants and bird life in
this locality would be of great benefit
to him.
will you be kind enough to recon-
mend some books, not too technical, on
these subjects?
Il have been reading your column for
some years and have always found it
interesting and most refreshing. Thank
you very much for your trouble. And
thank you for the pleasure your column
has given me-
Yours sincerely. A. I. r."
If this correspondent will contact the
Office of National Capital Parks, under
the National Park Service of the De-
partment of the Interior he will be
put in touch both with books and per-
sons interested in these matters.
Official bird walks, held under the
auspices of the National Capital Parks
and the District of Columbia Audubon
and trees
Much OF the shrubbery of the city
and surroundings can be studied in the
various parks, including particularly
the Zoo park grounds and Rock Creek
Park
The animal, bird and plant life. in
Guiding trees and shrubs. of the District
OF Columbia and vicinity are exactly
those of the Eastern States in general.
During May and June the National
Park Service offered a four-week course
in ornithology.
We advise our correspondent to get
in touch with the naturalists' once,
National Capital Parks, Room 1928,
South Interior Building, Eighteenth
and c streets NV. The telephone
number is Republic 1920 Extension 2557
Most OF the book stores have small
sets of books devoted to birds trees,
flowers and butterflies of the Eastern
United States.
There is as much flora and fauna
hereabouts as any place else, and much
of it can be studied easily and pleas
antly.
II one has the time and energy. the
various hiking clubs will give any one
workout Field study of birds with
others appeals to certain natures Some
prefer to go it alone.
Birds may be studied in ones own
small garden and one scientist found
more than 1000 species of insects in
an ordinary city back yard.
1t is possible for any one to concen-
trate on some one subject and possibly
learn more about it than all the scien-
fists.
Consider the Japanese beetle. that
pest which is at present busily running
the gardens of nearby MARYLAND and
Virginia
Very little. comparatively speaking is
known about these pests. Control meas
ures have proved rather ineffective.
partly due to the fact that it is impos-
Slole to get every one to take part. 1t
Is mucn the same with rat control. If
every one would see that his own pre-
mlses were clean of rats, the matter
would work itself out along natural
lines.
Close study of the Japanese beetle
oy some amateur might result in a
discovery which would do away with
SAAA oAeo6CIiiCI WHO KNOWS? STRANGER
things have happened.
one woman scientist has spent her
lie In the study of one bird species
that OF the song sparrow. 1t means
nothing at all to her to turn out a 400
page book every now and then on her
favorite species.
Most persons will be able to recopniz.
the song of the little song sparrow
but few of them will realize that there
are more than 1000 variations of this
simple song.
For purposes of health we believe
tnat more looking and more admira-
tlon would be better than too much
study, as such. This, however. depends
upon temperament. Study which bores
one Is not good even for the healthy
The Office Of National Capital Parks
can supply. we believe. charts showing
the planting of our various parks. This
would be good way to begin.