Evening star., 1945-02-12
This and That
By Charles Z. TrdceUelL.
18th STREET.

We have all enjoyed your column so
much and we hope you will continue
same for long time to come
We have number of pets that come
to our kitchen window to eat. A pair
of redbirds visit the window twice a day
and eat the Wildbird seed that we keep
IN the dish for the many sparroWs that
visit u.s.
Also, blue jays come and get peanuts.
AT least half dozen squirrels come
to eat the peanuts that we keep out
for them. Several of the young squirrels
are skinned up around the neck and it
looks as If they have been scalded.
I'VE only wish we could catch any one
who would harm these little animals,
as they are very friendly and eat out
of our hands.
We had one mockingbird that has
stayed around all winter and now it has
started to chase the starlings away, but
does not hurt the sparrows.
I'VE have never seen this before and
we wonder why it does this. 1t eats
some little bread but not much. lust
keeps chasing the starlings from tree to
tree.
Sincerely, r. A. D."
X X u
The mockingbird instinctively recog-
nizes real food rival in the starlings.
Not only are the latter large and
strong birds, but there are many of
them.
Starlings are soft-billed birds, Just as
the mockingbirds are, and hence eat
more or less the same things.
In nature there are comparatively few
foods of hi 1F
Sparrows, being hard-billed birds, can
eat almost anything-and do.
They, too, will eat bread and softer
things, but prefer seeds and grains if
they can get them.
Starlings often dunk" even their
bread, which of course is quite hard
from the cold when they get it.
x X x x
Let us hope there are only few per-
sons out of million who would scald
squirrel
Many bad looking wounds on these
animals are inflicted by each other, in
fights.
squirrels, and make ugly looking places.
Then, too, squirrels are susceptible to
mango and various fungous diseases, as
ok oil tilc 1uIIGu d1llIIldlS.
Sometimes these can have a very
horrible appearance, since there is no
direct care in nature.
The only doctor is the creature itself.
All it can do is wash the affected part
with tongue or wet paw.
This is not much of a treatment, so
that the real cure, if any, is due to the
famous healing power of nature.
In old age squirrels sometimes suffer
from cancer, which gives very bad ap-
pearance, the outward evidence being
fur out in patches.
Some months ago we received COM
munication asking advice about the
feeding of wheat germ to the squirrels.
These animals had bare spots around
the head and neck, and the correspond
ent wanted to know if these were caused
by the wheat germ.
We believe we advised, at that time,
the discontinuance of such food, since it
is too concentrated, just as peanut
butter is perhaps too concentrated for
squirrels, except in very small quantities.
There is always chance that wild
animal is shedding, when it's fur looks
in poor condition.
Often squirrels have very ragged tails,
and these seem to appear at all times
of year.
Probably poor condition of the
animal gives it ragged tail, no mat
ter from what disease it is suffering
When We think of living "a hours a
day Sutdoors, with no covering except
fur suit, and that sometimes raggedy,
we can realize what the wild animals
are up against, and so must extend our
admiration to them. If they can stand
1t, we ought tp be able to take" IS
degrees r.