Evening star., 1946-10-14
This and That
Bp Charles =. TracesDell.

A natural hiatus in bird feeding
seems to occur in early fall.
This is the answer, apparently, to
numerous inquiries recently as to the
failure of songbirds to patronize local
feeding stations.
Fears that too much DDT has killed
the birds were punctured today by ex-
perts, who declared that tests made
recently under controlled circumstances
show that the famous insecticide is not
responsible.
Birds have been fed DDT with seeds
and grains, with no particular injury
unless too high percentage OF the
killer is used.
Insects destroyed by the insecticide
have been fed to birds, with no particular
mortality resulting, unless too much
DOT was used on the insects.
We must look to natural causes, then,
for the sudden disappearance Of many
fiocks Of small birds, especially SPAR
rows, at many local stations.
Too dry weather for time probably
caused many birds to go to the woods,
where they could find more moisture.
Is this tip that we should be more
careful about keeping bird baths filled?
4ucQ, CfCtl hlluS Wll4t41 w ilOb
migrate sense something Of the great
fact In bird life that leads the migrat-
ing special to move South In vast num-
bers.
There is sort Of mild contagion here.
which affects the birds which like to
gather In focks.
Most species like the shade Of woodsy
places when they are putting of their
old feathers and putting on the new for
the cold season ahead.
Hawks seem to have been driven from
farm lands into suburban communities
recently. thus causing hundreds of birds
at feeding stations to disappear for q
time.
Every last bird will fly away, and re-
main away, when hawk comes around.
Often several days will elapse before
they return, and failure to do so should
make the bird lover feel that the hawk
is still around.
Last spring we saw at close range an
interesting example Of the effects of a
hawk on bird life. A flock of about a
dozen common pigeons were feeding
along the grassy margin of Broad
Branch road, when suddenly the shadow
of hawk came across the roadway
Instantly every pigeon rose in the sky
as one bird, and made of with their
famous wheeling flight
The hawk, disappointed of being able
to pick out one bird from the flock, flew
down into the lower branches of tree,
to see If he could not find at least one
laggard bird.
He did not find it, for by that time
every pigeon was gone.
Nor was any seen in that vicinity for
days.
There still remains the long time
problem of the effect of various high
powered insecticides and fungicides on
all natural life.
There is little question that victory
and just plain gardening in recent years
has led millions Of people to rely on the
use Of these materials.
Many of them are what might be
called standard poisons. Their use often
makes garden white with powder.
House cats may walk into such .
patch, get the material on their feet,
and lick 1t Oh. Lethal doses can be Sc
cured In this way.
Whenever cat develops an unusually
severe illness, seemingly with great sud-
denness, every effort should be made to
make the creature vomit. No time Is to
be lost. Put teaspoonful Of salt In q
cup OF water, and begin putting 1t
down the animals throat with q medi-
cine dropper. This will take much
time and effort, but there should be no
relaxing, using cupfu1 after cupful OF
such solution, until vomiting Is Sc
cured