Evening star., 1945-10-25
This and That
By Charles E. Traceueu.
CONNECTICUT Av


I am an Englishman and during the
Tour years I have been in Washington,
on work connected with war conditions.
| have greatly enjoyed your column,
This and That, in The Evening Star.
am thus already in debt to you for
tne pleasure you have given me, but
as Is the way with debtors I am hopeful
that you can render me stiu further
assistance
Three and half years ago nv
daughter brought home two nesting
pigeons, apparently one or two davs
old, with the idea that my wife should
Try TO rear them. On a diet of hard
boiled egg yolk and assiduous attention
one of the birds survived.
1T was our belief that once mature
the bird would fly away, but although
1t has been allowed complete liberty
including hours daily on an open sun
porch, it has never done so.
The bird, female, has the run of
our apartment, and has greatly en-
deared itself to us. 1t is a one-person
olrd, and in all sorts of ways shows
the greatest affection to my wife, though
10 others 1t is rather stand-ofish.
AS we are shortly leaving Washing
ton and may have period of living
IN noteLS we are anxious to find another
home for the bird. Could YOU suggest
what we should do? We should be
heartbroken if we had to DESTROY il
With sincere thanks in advance, am,
Yours sincerely, H ]. W."
y
Inns perplexed friend of America
might try to find some wounded sery-
iceman who might find in such a pet
pigeon release for some of his wor
ries.
Ernest P. Walker, assistant director of
the National Geological Park, has an
idea about pet therapy."
He feels that nothing will help GER
tain cases SO much as some sort of a pet
therefore, he advises this particular
person, and all others with similar
problems, to do their best to find some
suitable person who would be bene-
htted by having such a pet.
Small worries over what to feed It
and how best to take care of it would
take the mems minds off their more
personal troubles.
II this cannot be done the Zoo will
be glad to talk over with this pigeon
owner the disposition of the bird
Malcolm Davis, in the bird house, which
is just down the path to the right
from the Connecticut avenue entrance,
is the one to see.
The Zoo is always glad to get rarer
birds, and even fancy pigeons, but
has not much need for common pigeons.
The common pigeon makes an un-
usual house pet, and one which on ac-
count of its dirt cannot be recon-
mended in most cases.
That such bird can work up for
itself real affection and regard is
shown by our correspondents letter.
The members of this family are glad
to clean up after it and appreciate its
many friendly acts and its affection,
shown 'in all sorts of ways"
The love of small animals and birds
is not born to every one Many living
things, in all races, tribes and orders,
never seem to be able to step a foot
over the line of their own group.
This is undoubtedly at the bottom
OF mans wars. Many persons live and
die around the world without ever
having shown the slightest interest in
the four-footed creatures or the birds.
1t Is only step from this lack of
regard for our furred and feathered
brothers to lack of appreciation of
members of other races and tribes of
man.
Such pigeon as our correspondents
might become the pet of an entire
ward, whose members would be bene-
fitted by its daily care Even cleaning
up after 1t would have its virtues. Such
cleansing rites, as women have found
out for centuries, have in their wings
the healing magic Of the common
place.