Evening star., 1946-04-04
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1ceH.

A false Lily Belle fooled US! The
other day we wrote about the return of
Lily, pet robin, for her sixth consecu-
tive year. IT, -
Actually, that wasn't pretty Lii at
all, but masquerader who had enough
of her tricks to puzzle any one.
The real Lily Belle came back a week
later, but Immediately was driven out
of the neighborhood by pair of robins
which had staked out prior claim to
her territory.
This episode was a perfect example
OF the theory of territorial claims among
the birds.
Not every one agrees with this theory,
perhaps, but it has some of the best
minds" behind it.
II the doubters had witnessed the way
Lily was driven off, they would have
accepted the claim as way of bird life.
*&
The false Lily Belle perched on her
same branch Of the maple tree, and
made enough typical robin chatter to
convince us that she was the real thing.
Actually, when the real Belle came
along, the false one was shown up in
her true colors.
In comparison, the first female robin
did not have either the Lily Belle look
or her voice.
Once Lily was on her branch. as she
had been every spring, she put the other
one in the shade, as the expression has it.
1t has always been her patent, this
peculiar way of talking. second after
second, going on for minutes at time,
with sort Of intimacy known to no
other bird of her clan.
Lily is talker, in bird talk, of course
She goes on and on, endlessly, hopping
first to one end of her pet bough, then
back, but never stopping her chatter.
She also has way of cooking her
head, as she looks at you.
She was the genuine Lily, the real
thing, there was no doubt in the world.
She knew us, and we knew her.
And then, like bolt out of the blue,
two robins flew down the driveway.
They sailed into poor Lily, as she sat
there happily on her branch, and ran
her clear out Of the neighborhood.
The last we saw of Lily Belle she was
twice as high as house, and flying for
her very lifes sake to the North.
She will, now and then venture back,
we feel sure, but whenever she does,
probably she will be met by the same
irate reception committee.
Because, you see, they got here first,
this spring, and she, by coming down,
had violated the unwritten law of
birdland
The idea of territory is based on food
values, rather than land values. So
much ground will furnish so many worms
and insects for feeding the young. The
more birds around, the more trouble in
gathering in food.
While all baby birds are fed worms
and insects and their eggs, all good pro-
tein food for growth, the various species
have their favorites.
Evidently the intimidation Of others
of the same species is more necessary
than the chasing away of birds of an
other feather.
It also is easier. If you could have
seen those two robins chasing Lily away,
you would have thought she had COM
mitted some original sin.
We are sorry Lily is not to be with us
this summer, but there is not much to be
done about it,
1t is comforting to know that she is
somewhere in the neighborhood. Now
and then, We hope, she will fly in, and
sidle along her pet branch as of old.
Lily does not look one day older than
when, years ago, she was released from
the hand for the last time.
Her feathering is perfect, her manners
plainly marked by mankind, and her
chatter as voluble as ever.
How long will she live?
That depends upon nature, but with
good fortune, which birds and men all
need. she may 1--we another dve years.