Evening star., 1947-11-10
This and That
By Charles E. TrGceDeU.
ARLINGTON, Va.

ARLINGTON, Va.
Dear Sir:
II find a great number of English sparrows at
my feeding station, and should like to know
what ought to do about them, If anything.
Il must confess that find them interesting,
and pretty, too, but I have heard so much
against them that I suppose I ought to run
them off,
still, I find myself liking them, and so far
have done nothing. I would like your advice.
Do you think should try to deny them the
food put out for others?
Sincerely, M L. o."
No one should deny hungry creature some
thing to eat.
This is the spirit of the age, and 1t applies to
birds and animals as well as to human beings.
Or at least, we think it should apply.
The common sparrow is, after all, an inter-
esting bird.
1t is also pretty bird.
When you credit bird with beauty and
interest, you have given it a great deal, some
thing shared by such fine birds as the redbird,
the song sparrow. the titmouse, and the chicka-
dee, to say nothing of the downy woodpecker,
and the snowbird, and the nuthatch
All of these are we'll known winter residents
of the National Capital, and all of them find 1t
good to associate with English sparrows.
The cardinal eats peacefully with the little
fnches.
1t might help some people to know that
cardinals and common sparrows are cousins
If bird is to be measured by the company
it keeps, the common sparrow is good bird
If it were not for its habit of sometimes
taking nesting sites away from bluebirds and
Others it would be accorded clean slate in
popular opinion, one may believe.
AS it is. the bluebirds are not simple and
defenseless as some persons have tried to make
us believe. They are able to go elsewhere for
nesting.
But there is a larger viewpoint. 1t is that, in
the long run, no human agency can resist the
forces of nature.
Now the sparrows are very much forces of
nature They are strong, hardy, and numerous.
They ask no favors, but do not mind bit Of
food.
Certainly the true bird lover (as opposed to
those who have Zines" axes to grind and
propaganda to put over will not try to feed
just his own selection among the wild creatures.
If he puts out food, he will not be so cruel as
to pick and choose.
There is no dividing line in hunger.
The sparrow is as hungry as the next bird,
and his longing for food is quite as important
to him as the hunger of the better BIRDS to
them.
1t must be kept in mind by every person who
puts out feeding station that the life of the
birds in winter hinges on just few degrees of
temperature
This, in turn, depends on constant supply
of food during the day.
1t may be believed that at dawn there Is not
much leeway left in the life of any bird.
1t must eat shortly, or die. They possess
none of the tolerance of the larger animals.
Therefore all Kindly persons, at least. must
look with respect on the hungry sparrow in
the cold.
This is not only charity III action, true Chris
tianity but also common sense, for the COM
mon sparrows eat millions of weed Seeds and at
nesting time carry bushels of inimical insects
to their young
To ask just for the survival of those things
In nature that interest and please the indi-
vidual is dangerous doctrine.
better one Is the Golden Rule.