Evening star., 1945-05-28
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceDeH.
"U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM.

Dear Sir:
In recent issue Of The Evening
Star, the dilemma of pigeon with a
piece of toast around its neck was de-
scribed. and the writer wondered what
had become of it.
"One morning I should say around
10 o'clock, noticed, and others in the
Office saw, too, that the pigeons were
looking at something and acting queerly
1--WE feed them on the window SLID and
suddenly this pigeon appeared with a
piece of toast around its neck.
THE toast had hole in the middle
and We thought that it happened the
same way previously suggested. We
wondered how to relieve the birds dis
comfort.
Then I put some seeds on the parapet
of the building third floor and he
made an effort to get at the seeds, and
the toast slipped Off
That's the end of the story.
Very truly yours, M. B. C. S."
X X
And that is the end of this pigeon
epic.
The end of it shows that good people
need not worry if a pigeon gets slice
of bread around its neck.
So many things happen in nature
that you do not see the end of, that it
is interesting to really hear the conclu-
sion OF one episode.
We fed Lilly Belle, the pet robin, for
three years, and then she simply van
ished, and we have no idea what has
become of her.
Probably she is dead, but there is nc
knowing.
1t is the knowing, of course, which
brings the pigeon episode to a salts
factory conclusion, plus the knowledge
that the bird escaped unharmed.
Many small accidents happen to birds
and probably in most cases they come
out of them all right. Nature is large
she contains multitudes, as the poet
insisted on saying (about himself, not
about nature) and the birds and beasts
have been encountering accidents TO,
thousands of years.
In many instances they manage tc
wiggle out, because they are quick and
supple. Even when they get caught by
vines and the like, their struggles often
break their bonds.
On the other hand, when a bird gets
caught by thorn, it does not often
escape. Many small birds are impaled
and come to their death, unless rescued
by the hand of man.
1t Is good thing for friends of birds
to 60 the rounds of their vines and
shrubs, from time to time, to make sure
that no small creature is entangled.
Probably the gardener will not find
more than one bird a year caught. but
the rescue Of this one will give him a
fine feeling
Birds have no hands, of course, and
without them they are unable to reach
out and push away the clinging vine OF
the impaling thorn.
Once we found a sparrow upside down
in vine, caught as firmly as could be in
such a way that it's struggles merely
frightened the bonds.
The more it struggled, the tighter II
was held. Yet the human hand released
1t with one flick of the fingers, it was
that easy, but it was impossible for the
bird to free himself. It would have beer
an impossible situation for small ami
NAL.
Squirrels show better sense in han.
ding slices of bread than many birds
The latter all too often peck away al
the center, and thus cut out a hole
which sudden movement may pre-
tate over their heads.
u1rrels, on the other paw, eat from
edge in, and thus create no hazard
1t is always a good thing to moister
bread with warm water when putting
it out for the creatures.
This will prevent any pigeon or Others
from getting bread collar. Most species
like their bread soft. The starting will
even dunk" it before he eats. Perhaps
this is the only reason for putting It out
dry. to see some old starting solemnly
dip It into water before eating.