Evening star., 1944-11-04
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce,Ueu.
FALLS CHURCH. Va.

Dear Sir:
Il have continued to salvage enough
from the cake bowl each week by clean
ing out the remaining dough with corn
meal to afford choice tidbits for the
birds; likewise the fry pan. especially
after gravy making
Il should like for more housewives to
know how much they can do for the
birds in this manner instead of washing
the contents down the sink, AS I have
seen many times.
Sincerely yours, o. E. c."
Though they have no ration books,
the birds of America are receiving their
share of the Nations food
Seed and grain prices have gone up
and there is a real shortage of sun
flower seed, the favorite of most winter
ing birds. but in the main the songsters
are managing to do very we'll, thanks
to their human friends.
Our correspondent shows how left
overs may be utilized to help the birds
get enough to eat in fall and winter
Something ought to be given back
to the wild birds, because they have
helped SO largely to keep Victory and
other gardens free from insect pests
1t is due them.
A great many people do not feel that
they can afford to buy wild bird food"
as special mixtures of seeds and grains
are called.
Even chicken feed is going up
Still, much can be done by the
thoughtful householder. If he or she
has genuine interest in this matter.
Even persons who have no particular
interest manage to think of their
feathered friends when snow lies deep
on the ground
1t is easy, then, to imagine the plight
Of the homeless and foodless birds.
Human beings often find an outdoor
temperature of 40 degrees, with much
humidity, as difficult to bear as crisper
days when the thermometer is down
as low as 20 degrees. Almost any one
can recall some zero day when it \did
not seem SO cold.
There is little doubt that birds react
IN something of the same way to tenn
perature and humidity changes. While
they are more natural creatures, and
hence better able to adjust themselves,
at the same time they feel the changes
They cannot put on overcoats against
the cold. but must do little padding
with fat. Fat Is natures protection
against cold as we'll as reserve foodstuff
for time of greater energy and heat
needs
Food is the great overcoat of the
outdoor creatures If we could make
and adjust greatcoats to furry and
feathered life forms. no doubt thou
sands of persons would be intrigued
by the necessity for such work
The overcoat of fat is not so spec
taculsr. 1t cannot be seen easily and
it makes no particular eye appeal But
to the outdoor animals and to the birds
it is natures lifeSaver.
Bird "overcoats" literally grow on
trees-and bushes-in the gardens, and
on the window sills of all persons in
terested in and appreciative of the part
our birds play in the life of our Nation.
"The most you can give is the least
you can do''-so say the birds, and
they mean it.
Feeding the birds often may be done
with scraps left over from the table.
We do not mean garbage. Garbage is
all right for pigs, but it is not so good
for birds, and it usually arouses criti-
cism from humans, who like to criti-
cize, anyhow.
Only clean, selected bits of food
should be put out for the birds. and
these chosen before they get into the
classification of garbage"
II a little leftover food is put out at
q certain time each day, gradually the
birds Of the neighborhood will become
accustomed to looking for 1t.
8 s A q I ID