Evening star., 1945-11-09
This and That
By Charles E. TraceUeU.
"TAKOMA PARK, Md,

BY Charles E. Trdce,DeU.
"TAKOMA PARK, Md.
Dear Sir:
There is bird coming around to
our yard which I cannot identify. Per-
haps you can help me. It resembles
a wren, but 1t is much too big for any
wren, at least for any I ever saw.
1T is bird with most peculiar
song, which I am unable to describe
except to say that it whirrs, If you get
what I mean, and can't blame you II
you don't.
Still you know so much that ! ex-
pect that with this small amount of
clue you will be able to solve the prob
lem of what this bird Is, and what, If
anything, can do to keep him around.
Yours, E. La c."
-
This bird is the Carolina wren.
largest of its family.
Sometimes this bird Is called the great
Carolina wren on account of its size.
which is 51s inches long, but it is also
broad OF beam, so 1t seems truly great"
as wrens 60.
The song, unusual for bird at this
time Of year, will remind some hearers
of an old-fashioned pinniwheel
1t has sort Of circular motion. much
as If the bird were whirling its head
around in circles as it sang.
The song Is loud and clear. The only
bird which can compete with it for
strength of song at this season is the
blue jay, whose screams cut through
all else.
The Carolina wren may remain all
winter. 1t is an insect eater and may
be appealed to by meal worms. These
may be purchased in pet shops or can
be grown at home in old -four. 1t is q
rather messy business, however, and
cannot be recommended for the average
home, where insects and vermin are
undesirable.
The song of this wren has sometimes
been put down on paper as "teakettle,
teakettle, teakettle" Such a rendering
is, OF course, merely an attempt The
bird actually Is not talking about
teakettle. That was simply the way
some one once tried to ease his own
mind while hearing this bird. Some
bird friends are never satisfied until
they have put the songs Of their friends
into words which are understandable
to them, the admirers. In other words
they must humanize them. Actually,
bird notes are musical notes, not words.
One might as well listen to a flute play
melody and then put down such words
as happen to come to the mind in hear
ing. No doubt there is some resem-
blance, in most cases, between the
notes of the birds and the words
chosen, but their surety is challenged
by the fact that no two listeners would
choose the same words, except in the
cases of the whippoorwill, the bob white
and a very few others. Probably
cheer" would be selected as the first
three notes of the cardinals usual song.
1t is doubtful whether there would be
any disagreement about the bob white"
notes of that beautiful bird. But for all
the rest 10 listeners would have 10
different versions
If the Carolina wren stays around
a community its strong call or song
will be heard all the time It is not
a seed eater, so usually will not come
to feeding place unless small worms
of some sort are put out, and unfor-
| tunately these probably will be eaten
by sparrows and others before the
wrens arrive.
This wren lacks the fussy character
Va oAS oAAA0h JOiAAiy WACli, VI 1lOuSC
wren, who visits us each year early in
April and leaves in August.
Jenny's mates song is cascade,
| much as If water were pouring down
over flight Of stone steps.
The Carolina wren has q louder
melody, and to many listeners a much
more pleasing one. It's whirling in the
| cold sky gives sense of cheer which
| otherwise would be lacking
Many of the "blues" in life come
| about because people do not have
| enough resources. One person might
| be down in the dumps, as the saying
goes, but another with greater actual
woes remain bright and cheerful be-
cause he had heard, just for few
seconds, the clear, happy song Of the
Carolina wren telling him to cheer up
and to stop worrying, or the atomic
| bomb would get him yet.