Evening star., 1946-09-18
This and That
BIZ Charles E TraceueU

Whitley, pigeon which ate at our
feeding station for five years, is no
more.
She was slain by motorist.
Her white feathers, rumpled and
bloody, made AN odd spot on the road
way.
She was a large bird, usually &C
companied by white-and blue mate.
At one time the mate was tan and
white, SO We could not think old Whitley
was altogether homogeneous.
She was a fine bird, with a great
appetite, and would have been crunch
ing grains yet If nature had been al
lowed to take its course
Her persistence was amazing. At one
time she had been accompanied by at
least 20 cousins and aunts. When, by
various devices, these were kept away,
Whitley never gave up
She would perch on the roof of the
house next door for hours and days at
a time.
Usually we sprinkled some seed and
grain where she could get at it. She
alone of the group insisted on being
fed.
The rest, after a few hours or days
on watch, would give up and 90 else
where for their food, as they are al
ways able to do. Pigeons, though mostly
nuisances at bird feeding stations. are
wonderful birds.
Not only are they pleasing in ap-
pearance, and mighty flyers, but are
resourceful and intelligent birds.
They are able to wrest a living from
pavements and roadways
Often they find food where at least
to the human eye, there is none at all
Pigeons make the most of what they
find, evidently. Even when they appear
to be eating nothing they are as fat and
well-fed appearing as ever.
So no one, we feel, should worry over
depriving them or at least trying to
deprive them of food at a place where
the smaller birds are catered to. The
pigeon is not wanted there, for a va
riety of reasons.
We made an exception of Whitley,
partly because she had been the first
to come, and secondly, without doubt,
because she was the only all-White
one. We could recognize her!
An all-white pigeon somewhat re-
sembles dove. Doves and pigeons are
cousins, and number among the most
remarkable of all birds
We always have thought them a good
thing in large cities, because they bring
the touch of natural life to people who
otherwise would have to go to the
geological parks to get It,
Yet today there is a movement afoot
to saddle the carrying of disease upon
them. 1t is sad day, in many aspect
and probably this is just one of the
minor sadnesseS.
Yet when We think of poor old
Whitley, and her great gusto for food,
we feel sorry for all pigeons.
Those fellows dearly love to eat. Not
all birds wade into their food with such
determination and enjoyment.
They may be seen taking bits of
lunch from peoples hands in the parks,
and going over the concrete and grass
plots for invisible foods.
They do a great job at cleaning up
odds and ends of foods that otherwise
would attract ants.
1t is often forgotten, this service the
common pigeons do. 1t is amazing, too,
how seldom one Is hit by a car in the
downtown areas where the birds must
get used to heavy trafflc.
Whitey's end came because she did
not have sufficient training in dodging,
We like to think of her as having gone
to land where pigeons are not frowned
upon nor conspired against and where
there are no automobiles or dogs or
cats, but where there is plenty good
fo6d just to her taste-to bird heaven.
u other words. 4