Evening star., 1946-03-26
This and That
By Charles E. Trnce,ueu.

BETHESDA, Nd.
Dear Sir:
L see many of your readers are fond
OF doves, and so am 1. 1 find the birds
you are fond of are the best birds of
all. I was not much excited about the
evening grosbeaks, because I had never
seen them before, but my cardinals
and jays and doves I have with me
always. That makes them better than
grosbeaks, as far as I am concerned,
and I believe I am right about this,
because the usual birds are around at
the times have to devote to them.
That is why like the doves. Some
people think them homely, but to me
they are really beautiful, with their
patterned back and their pink breasts
and their odd bodies. Their habits
intrigue me, especially the way they
take wing and the whistling noise they
make when they do so. It is not every
bird which has such distinctive mark.
L try to cater to them, and find that
they like most grains and the usual
run of seeds put out for the birds. I
also give them bread, which they eat
greedily. They are somewhat shy, but
/ have seen them stand up to the
ways laugh when I read some kind per-
sons In your column speaking of them
being SO gentle. They are not gentle
at all when they take it into their heads
to go after jay. This to me is a COM
1cal sight, because even those of us who
have watched doves enough to know
that they really are not gentle still
have in the back Of our heads the old
idea that there is something peculiarly
gentle about them.
THE turtle dove Is well named, since
its back resembles the back Of box
turtle, but why mourning? Mourning
dove seems rather an i'll term for this
bird, because there is certainly nothing
sad about him In action, and the voice,
which I suppose Is the reason, is not
actually sad or mournful in any sense.
To me it is soothing, and 1 think such
name as mourning dove is all wrong.
AS far as that goes, why does this sim
pie bird have to have a compound
name, such as mourning dove, or tur-
tie dove, when dove alone would do?
Sincerely, T. A.
r 4 X
Two pairs of doves have come to our
own feeding station.
The most we have ever had was six.
We agree with our correspondent
there are few more interesting birds.
Carefully watched, over some little
period of time, they become fascinating
If carelessly watched. however, they
are not to be compared with the more
colorful birds, such as the cardinals
jays and grosbeaks.
Hence it may be stated as essential
not only to the appreciation of this
species but of all of them, that each
one be watched carefully.
Careless watching, superficial obser-
vation, few moments put on a bird
now and then, will not give the watcher
as much as longer and more intense
scrutiny.
This longer watching need not be
nervous. Every person must be his
own guide, in this matter. It is much
the same thing as with eye exercises
and, indeed, watching the birds is 9
sort of eye exercise, in itself.
If one puts too much stress on see
ing, it does things to the nervous Or
ganization. Nor is this to be won.
dered at, since part of the eye is 8
prolongation of the brain itself.
Take it easy, then, in watching the
birds, doves or others, but do put
enough time in at it, if possible, to bs
able to say that one has watched well
Watching well is always good, wheth.
er in bird observation or internationa
affairs. We are now in crrlx of his.
tory where careless observation o.
events can do lot of harm.
1t all gets back to the biblical in
| junction, that If thing is worth doing
it should be well done. with ones hear
| and soul In 1t.