Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-07
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,pel.
DARK HARBoR, Me.

DARK HARBOR, Me.
one OF my loveliest memories of child
hood is OF listening to the Baltimore
oriole singing in an old apple tree COW
cred with blossoms. This was in New
York State.
II am interested that some one else
has had the same experience in Wash
lngton, because although was told the
orioles were not uncommon there ] was
never able to identify one
Il have seen many farther North. In
New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and
now in Maine. Recently saw beauti-
full one as far north as Penobscot Bay.
Sincerely yours. M. S. CT
There are plenty of orioles in and
around Washington, but they do not
visit feeding places. and therefore are
more difficult to spot than the birds
which do.
Perhaps there is no suburban COM
munity where the calls and the singing
OF the Baltimore oriole are not heard,
but seeing the creature Is a different
matter It's loud, clear notes distinguish
~ lIou LlOSt OGIlcT species.
The calls and songs Of the birds do
help make precious memories. Fortunate
Is the child who is taught to know and
love them. Since the calls and songs are
natural music, they must be taught, as
all music.
There is one child out of every thou
sand, no doubt, who takes naturally to
listening to the birds and Distinguishing
their songs one from the other. He does
not need any one to suggest interest to
him.
Most little ones, however. need some
older person to direct their attention
and to fix the calls in their minds. If
they are shown how the birds compose,
make up" tunes, and that each kind of
bird makes up its own tune and, with
some exceptions, such as the hooking
bird, sings no other, In time they will
come to understand the brotherhood be-
tween robin and Beethoven. Music is
music, wherever found. The bond be-
tween bird song and a symphony is
easily seen, if one has bit of training in
both.
Will Handy, whose blues" songs, par
ticularly the famous "St. Louis Blues" is
known around the world, attributed his
early interest in music to the birds. Not
all persons are so fortunate as children
to realize that bird songs are music.
Many persons. alas even older ones, call
bird music noise"
Even many who know and love the
birds fail to understand their making of
choral music. The English sparrows,
sometimes spoken of as pests, make the
most pleasing music together. Examined
carefully, the sounds from any one singer
are not so hot" as the expression has it,
but the notes combine to make pleasant
music on winter afternoons where bird
feeding Is carried out.
Bird songs offer hundreds of simple
melodies, some of them reminding the
listener of the real Hawaiian tunes,
whose simplicity is truly birdlike
Each species has many variations, and
detecting these Is pleasure to the must
cally inclined. At this point it is per-
haps well to state that music is one art
where little learning" is much better
than none at all. Music lessons are never
wasted No matter how few or many
pupil takes, there is something gained.
Music may not take" on every pupil, but
each one will learn something, and in
later years be better prepared to love
and appreciate the music Of birds and
men.
Rudimeptary music lessons will help in
the appreciation of bird songs. With the
exception Of the mockingbird and cat
bird, who specialize In real arias, going
on for hours, the birds have easily iden-
tilted songs, short enough for any one to