Evening star., 1946-10-04
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdcetDeH.

The other day we put two bird identi-
dcations up to readers, with the result
that there Is some divergence Of opinion.
8. p. T. Of Gaithersburg, Nd. writes
rs follows:
II cannot hazard guess as to No. 2,
but think that, unquestionably, No. /
Is the kildee, or kildeer, as was brought
up on.
II have not seen one Of these for a
long while. but that fast running trait,
together with description, Is unmistak-
able"
But S. ]. H. OF College Park, Md,
writes:
mo. Possibly this was the shrike.
Such birds have varied colorings in diff
ferent locations, but a search of bird
books indicates 1t was the shrike.
mo. 2-Most likely was one of the
various band-tailed pigeons such as
those owned by several pigeon admirers
in this section"
c. s. Of Ashton, Md, agrees with the
kildeer hypothesis. She writes: mo. /
is the kildeer. I have seen it now and
then about this time around here"
F. j. c. of Biltmore street says:
mo. Is more than likely the kildeer.
No. 2 Is indeed weird one. I don't
think your correspondent saw rightly.
! thought myself it might be some fancy
pigeon. think it only strange colora-
ton OF an ordinary common pigeon"
Il +
The names of natural creatures are
interesting. but for the average observer
not entirely necessary.
One sees-and one wants to know
That, of course, is human.
But what can one do with the knowl-
edge, after it is attained?
In bird watching we insist, the name
OF q bird is not as important as one
may think, at the very time.
The quest for knowledge is one thing.
Even abstract knowledge is good There
will always be the difference between
knowing for its own sake, and knowing
for what one can get out of 1t. It is an
old division, about which many minds
hold different views.
The bird we see is just the same bird,
whether its name is known or not.
Our point is simply that we should
enjoy the beauty Of the creature before
everything else. The name, after all,
makes little difference, in comparison
with the grace, the color, the habits,
the life as expressed by it.
Life, after all, is what is interesting.
Life comes before names.
Zola, the French novelist, had a sneer-
ing title for one of his works. "The
Joy of Life" he called it, and the pages
after the title page go on to show the
many terrible things that can happen
to one.
It was intended tS be sophisticated
and sarcastic, but In the, ends turns out
to be sort of secret hymn to life.
Life, you see, got ahead OF the writer,
as it usually does.
Anything human is Of interest to
me-" someone said.
1t should have been better had he
said, Anything alive is interesting"
A name Is entirely secondary. Some
times much thought is given to naming
child. There are even books on the
subject. Solemnly little one Is named
John, or Charles, or William, but he
ends up as Chuck.
Names are the mereSt chance. Actual
ly, they mean nothing nowadays, except
as a sort of speaking label for the
person. Life Is putting many angles.
even on names.
It Is different with ideas and things.
Names of ideas fluctuate, but names Of
things stay the same. No two persons
have the same idea for the name de
mocracy," but everybody agrees on
automobile"
Kildeer, shrike, sora-what difference
does it make? The bird, itself, as seen
at the time. was what counted.