Evening star., 1947-07-25
This and That
Bu Charles E. Tr1ceUelI.

Early fau?
We would judge so, from the appearance in
our own yard of the Carolina wren several
weeks in advance of his usual time
In most seasons, for some reason or other,
this largest of the wrens comes about August 15
This year he shows up in July, and so may be
the first sign of autumn.
After all, fall is not so far off. 1t won't be
long now before it becomes plain to every one.
In the meantime no doubt the Carolina wren
senses the fact afar.
He smells autumn, he throws his high Syl-
lables far and wide and over the neighborhood
he bounces through the air with the greatest
of ease.
This is his way of saying, watch out frost
will be here before you know it"
This big wren is as pert as the smaller mena-
berS Of his family.
He stays hereabouts all year, but has way of
coming to certain places only at certain times
Of the year. Ours is mid-August.
He has what has been called pin-wheel or
whirligig sort of tune.
The impression it makes is that OF something
going around and around.
This bird ordinarily will not come to feeding
stations, but something may be done to lure
him by putting out the usual fare, including
seeds, grain, raisins, etc.
Some enthusiasts have tried supplying him
with meal worms, but these vanish quickly In
the outdoors, owing to the heat-as well as the
heat" put on them by the other birds.
Meal worms, growing best in old -four, tend
to wither in the air. They are favorite live food
of certain birds, including the wrens, and all
the tropical fishes kept in aquariums.
Even little guppies love meal worms, II they
are broken into pieces
Speaking of bird photographs, here Is an idea
for the ambitious photographer
Take photo of bird standing on the glass
cover lid of AN aquarium, looking down into
the water at the swimmers below.
This would be shot for the books.
Such a photograph would not require half
the patience of getting cat to pose on top OF
the tank.
Both of these would make beautiful inter-
esting and appealing photographs, but as far
as we know they have never been taken.
Patience is required, OF course, but either shot
might be done in the full sunlight by an open
window. Or flash bulb, of course, would permit
them to be taken any time.
The Carolina wren ordinarily is not poser,
but he is pleasant to have in neighborhood
This oneais large only for a wren, about an
inch longer than the house wren but with an
equally appealing and pert tail.
What would wrens be without those tails?
The animal tail is one Of the most expressive
features. It shows wrath, satisfaction, and
above all seems to balance the animal. This
sense of balance is important both to the
creature and to the observer.
The Carolina wren Is not more Carolina"
than Maryland or Virginia or District of Colunl-
bia Just because he had that name hitched
onto him long ago means very little nowadays.
He is still the same fine creature, wherever
we find him, blithely moving around the sub
urban tracts sending his fine voice far and
wide, announcing his satisfaction with life.
If human were to make such noise, 1t
would be called shrill but the vocal abilities Of
birds is such that seldom Is their highest pitch
called 80; their voices seem to At In perfectly
with the outdoors. bringing sense of-what
shall We call N?-balance, again.