Evening star., 1945-11-24
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trace1DeH.
BETHESDA, Md.


Dear Sir:
What do the birds think about as
they perch outside my dining room
window, waiting for food to be put out?
II hope you will not think that ques-
ton absurd. am sure that they think
about something. I realize they would
not be thinking such thoughts as Hurry
up with the grub,' Hot dog, here 1t
comes and Just some more of that old
dry chick feed,' but am sure they do
have ideas in those little heads.
"If they do, what do you suppose their
ideas are? Sincerely, E. l.. r"
4 r
Some people have the idea that birds
believe they are stealing food from us
when we feed them.
Certainly their actions at times seem
to bear this out.
Thus. if this idea is correct, the birds
are thinking, instead Of the ideas at
tributed to them by our correspondent,
such things as Keep still, see what he
does with that seed. If he leaves 1t
there, we will eat it"
When the sparrows are singing loudly
in the middle of the afternoon and you
90 out to fill up their feeding stations
they will stop instantly. Not sound
will come from the vine where they
are clustered.
Ornithologists assert that the pre-
dominating emotion of all birds is fear.
It Is not true with them that the
only thing they have to fear is fear. 1t
probably never was true for any living
thing, including man, except in a way
of speech.
Certainly the birds have many things
to fear including human beings.
Weighing as they do, at least among
the songbirds, but few ounces, they
are subject to great danger from winds
and from dashing into the many hard
objects which fill the world. Their
physical economy demands a constant
food supply, and even men know how
difficult this is to secure.
Birds would be in danger if ever they
remained in one place, but the fact is
that they are as great travellers as that
universal gadabout, man.
Travel, up to thousands of miles
twice a year for the migrating species,
brings many new dangers. This is shown
by the bodies of scores of migrators
being found on the northern shores of
South America. Not all that fly away
SO bravely from our yards get to jour-
ney's end.
Inimical weather conditions alone
kill many. Perhaps it is just as well
not to stress the deaths caused by man.
1t is easily realized that the birds
have many real causes for fear.
Still there are degrees of fear. As
one watches them fly into the shrub
berry close to the house when they see
that their favorite feeding place has
not been kept well stocked it is difficult
to see any real fear.
They fly up to attract ones attention
to the plain fact that they are hungry
and that they want something to eat.
Their emotion is one of expectation
that they are going to get what they
want. Experience tells them so just
how far these emotions 1egitimately
may be translated into words is any
body's guess. The psychology of bird
life has not been studied very deeply.
Human psychology, with all its pro-
fundities, Is easy in comparison. It is
impossible to get inside birds head.
Emerson said that the thoughts of a
turtle are all turtle, and probably we
may believe that the thoughts of bird
are all bird. We may feel glad that the
birds which wait for their dinner are
not saying such things as these: "Heav-
ems, that guy needs a haircut" or
What an unbecoming dress that lady
has on" or "a little reducing wouldn't
do this one any harm"
That the birds think connected
thoughts, in sentences, is impossible to
believe. Their ideas, if they have any
at all, and one may feel certain that
they do, must more nearly resemble
our single words Instead Of thinking
and chirping, Gimme some food, be-
cause am terribly hungry and haven't
had anything to eat for all Of 10 min
utes." they probably make their chirps
say, Food" That's an idea every liv-
ing creature understands.