Evening star., 1946-07-01
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrdcetUeU
"CLAGGETT PLACE NE.

Dear Sir:
While working on one OF those Stag
roofs for which this city in famous. I
noticed two birds One of them smaller
than a pigeon, was evidently sitting on
eggs The other few, into the air Its
wings were marked midway with white.
After soaring high, the bird dived
swiftly down toward me. emitting a
sound like kissing snake.
The other bird on the roof made no
effort to get away.
While in the air the bird made a
sharp, shrill monotone, with an in
creased wing beat. He has been in this
street for the last two weeks.
Please identify him for me-
Truly yours L. H."
There is not much to go on here. with
no coloration given except that the
wings are marked with white"
Manv birds smaller than pigeon
have white on them.
Lack of white. would rule out the cat
bird. which often emits a sound like
kissing snake.
Therefore we are forced to a consid-
Grafton of the mockingbird
1t will attack one who threatens its
nest. and will make sort Of grating
noise as it does so.
However, and it is a big however"
Knockers seldom nest on a roof
1t is practically unheard of. They
prefer to nest in shrubs and even trees,
at heights varying from 10 to so feet
All in all, we believe our correspond
ent's birds were turtle doves, and that
he heard the whistling of the wings
which these birds make.
Pigeons and doves are about the only
birds hereabouts which will nest on
roofs, with the exception of English
sparrows, and they prefer cutters and
cornices. and overhangs or "shelfs,' as
roofers call them.
Doves are notoriously poor nest build
ers. Often they do no more than lay a
few sticks crosswise. The nest, if it
may be called such, is perfectly fiat, and
often the eggs roll off. either in wind or
through carelessness of the mother.
Turtle or mourning doves do not have
so much white on them, it is true, but
probably enough to come within our
readers definition
While these doves have a reputation
ioi pCaCCiullCSS, tllCS Gall llSllG DIS we'll
as the next when they want to; they
will rise to the defense of their nests
and young, and often drive the belliger-
ent bluejays away from feeding places.
Our turtle dove is classed as a game
bird, but should not be shot, since it is
too easy mark, lacking much of the
SportSmanship of duck hunting.
They make excellent Gagged birds. and
once were widely used in this way, but
of recent years you seldom see a dove
cote.
They love to come to suburban COM
munities, where their plaintive soft
notes give feeling of home not secured
through any other bird
This is tribute to the dove It is not
pretty bird, as far as its face goes, and
its shape is rather on the dumpy side
but 1t has way about it, including its
short call or song. which manages to
ingratiate it with human friends.
There are few country sounds heard
in modern cities. The call of the dove
is one of these. Somehow the notes
make people remember usually the
scenes of childhood.
A few notes and suddenly unroll places
and sounds and people and animals
long gone.
We may thank the doves for this, be-
cause we are in too much danger today oil
forgetting the good old days of the true
| Golden Age, which was golden for those
who made it so. chiefly because they
! were contented with their lot.>