Evening star., 1947-01-28
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrGceDeH.
"TAKOMA PARK, Md.

Dear Sir:
my mother, living in Rochester, N. Y.
wrote recently of an interesting occur
renee reported by cousin OF mine l1v-
ing in the same city.
at was during day when the sleet
as it came down froze rapidly on every
thing it touched.
"While sitting in her apartment this
cousin heard lot Of chattering. Look
ing out she saw a sparrow nuttering
furiously but helplessly with its tail
frozen to the branch of tree just out
side her window.
"The poor bird was bottom side up
and could not free itself, hanging by
its tail.
Then my cousin saw the birds
friends all discussing what they could
do about it.
FINALLY, one dashed down and pecked
at the frozen tail.
'The others followed his example and
in few seconds the bird was free, and
the friends had all gone away, having
done their good deed for the day.
IT have reported this in almost the
precise words used in my mothers let
ter. She is in her 84th year and takes
great interest in the birds, putting out
food and water for them through the
winter.
every truly yours, II. P. B.
"P. S.-We thought that this item
might be of interest because, being con-
slant readers of This and That, we
know how much you appreciate the
brave and clipper little English spar
row."
No psychologist has ever given birds
intelligence tests, but we feel sure that
when they do the I. Q. of the English
sparrow will be found to be very high.
Not only is it smart bird, in the
average acceptance of that word, but 1t
has good disposition, being bright and
cheerful and willing to help others.
Some persons do not know this, hav-
ing been swayed to constant criticism
of this species through the propaganda
carried on for years against It.
So much has been said about it being
a scrappy bird, and so many harpoons
of ill will stuck into it for its harsh"
song, and the like, that even good
natured persons are sometimes in
clined to give the poor bird no 'leg to
stand on"
The fact is that here is a healthy,
persistent, ambitious bit Of life, living
in f1ocks, with all that means. It means,
for one thing, that to get something to
eat, you have to push and shove.
So the sparrows push and shove to
the best of their ability.
Put them on the street corner, they
are city birds. Let them get 4 taste Of
the country, and they become country
birds, fatter and cleaner.
They even become larger when they
get the good food which Is put out now
so generously in the suburban areas.
Bird feeding is suburban sport. 1t
is as close as many thousands of for
mer city dwellers will ever get to a
study of nature at first hand.
Sometimes such persons are inclined,
at first, to speak disparagingly of the
commora sparrows, but most of them in
time come to realize that this is a
bird as we'll as any, and a real adopted
body some of the traits which have
distinguished Americans since the be-
ginning.
Birds Of differing species often help
each other. In too many instances there
is QOCIllLg tQey eau OO, tIle pTOUlem
being out of their spheres OF thinking
and acting.
Birds caught in long lengths Of twine
often lose their lives, despite the best
intentions of their own tribesmen and
others. Birds often drown, especially
baby ones, but even in this universal
dilemma sometimes rescue is achieved
We have seen starting pull baby
sparrow out of pool and it is more
or less commonplace for another and
usually older bird to drag too large
piece of food out of the throat of a
choking comrade In these instances
we see the seeds of good will and philan-
thropy which flower in the better actions
of mankind Here again, the birds have
taught us what we ought to do: the Diff
cult thing is to do It.