Evening star., 1947-09-18
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1Dell

"U STREET Sc.
Dear Sir:
II would like to put in my cents worth
about the jay birds.
Both jays and grackles come to my yard
to feed and have never yet seen one of these
birds cause any trouble.
Where the trouble Is, is with us humans
always ready to find fault with our dumb
creatures If they do a wrong.
DO these humans ever stop to think of
what they do-kin one another beat Door
little babies and rape little girls? But just let
cat catch bird or bird steal an egg and
right away the cat and bird should be killed.
That's their nature and they don't know
any better, but the humans are supposed to
know better. No, I don't approve of cats
catching birds, in fact had cat that caught
one too many birds and had him put to
sleep, as he was really killer.
"The cat have now, if a bird sat on his
nose he'd just go on sleeping.
AT one time I had an angora cat and
every morning when I'd feed the birds he
would perch under a bush and watch them
eat but he never bothered them and they
seemed to know 1t and all came for their
breakfast.
jays which fell from the nest. put them in
cages-two in each cage and put the cages
on the front porch, also put food on the porch
rail, which Is very wide
"It wasn't long before Mr. and Mrs Jaw
spotted their babies. At first the parents were
afraid to come down and did try to fly at US
but they soon learned we wouldn't harm them
and we sat on the porch not two feet from the
cages and the older birds would come and feed
the babies
"Of course, at night we took the cages in
and on rainy days we put the cages on the
inclosed back porch and opened the door, We
would be in the kitchen and Mr.. and Mrs.
Jay New right in on the porch and fed the
youngsters.
There was picture in The Star last year
Of these birds and will say that Mr.. Jay did
try to peck your Star photographer until he
came in the house and got his picture from
the window. Sincerely, v. j. L."
UPTON STREET.
II enjoy very much your This and That in
The Evening Star, especially what you write
about birds.
Your recent article on the blue jays was
most interesting and when you contrasted him
with the grackle, thought, how true 1t was
and it brought to mind the experiences in
my garden of some years gone by, and little
book 7 wrote for children on flowers and the
birds that frequented our small country place
on Long Island, N. Y.
Il am taking the liberty of inclosing a copy
OF my With Peterkin in the Garden, with
my compliments, so you can see how interested
I am in our feathered friends, the birds
Yours truly, M. B."
"P. ST am now nurse at the Home for
Incurables.'
On the very afternoon that our recent article
about the jay appeared, band of these
feathered beauties showed up in the garden.
For more than half hour they set up a
screaming seldom equaled.
1t was as if they were putting on a show
for our benefit
Knowing the jay as we do, we rather took the
noise as complimentary, but this bird is wag
and there is never any knowing just exactly
what he means.
Probably it was no more than the sight of a
cat that set off the band and kept them at it,
minute after minute.
They few in and out of the yard, yelling at
the top of their voices. demonstrating their
range, vigor and even some of their softer notes.
At last the shouting and the tumult died.
AL that was left was great old yellow turtle
crossing the garden. He seemed strange
monster from another age.
Raising his odd head, he looked at the last
Of the jays. just before it took of. If that
turtle could have spoken no doubt he would
have said, We'll, you make lot Of noise, but
what difference does 1t make? can't make
much, but get there Just the same"