Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-13
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,DeH
anUwrrJrcrA I

bEIdESDA, NIL.
Dear Sir:
Since even the busiest days include read
Ing OF your column, am sure you would have
been delighted to have watched with us yes
terday. as a chipmunk Toasted on Japanese
beetles picked from the climbing roses.
He came at last to the rose just outside
the window where my husband and watched
SO that we could see what he was doing with
complete clarity.
Last winter we were obliged to suspend
feeding OF the birds because so many rats
moved in. It's something less than charming
to watch a big ugly rat in the feeder while
one Is breakfasting. Whereupon. they ate =
substantial part Of the cocoa mat At the front
door.
With many thanks for your splendid ar
ticles, am, Sincerely yours, r. B."
A nice letter to receive on a hot sticky
morning; not, as some might think, because
1t Is complimentary, but because 1t contains
news OF two interesting creatures.
The chipmunk. and the rat
Each is interesting, in its way. The chip
munk delights the observer with his beautiful
coat bright eyes and happy habits.
The rat, because of the role he plays in
human affairs.
Ugly he is, but interesting. and supremely
capable.
Unless mankind makes q greater effort than
along with the insects will inherit the world.
1t is not widely recognized, even after the
many fine books on the subject, that our
human world is in great danger of starving
itself to death, In the long run-and perhaps
that run is not as long as one might think.
DeSpoliation OF land and forest. the world
around, along with increase in population. is
leading to that undesirable end. The work of
insects and rats, in attacking human food
supplies, makes the end more sure. Or 50, at
least, they say.
If the average person is to help any at all,
he must know more about the dangers of in
sects and rats.
1t is mans right, one may presume, to
protect himself, in such . world as this.
Even he who shrinks from pouring boiling
water on q huddle of 1000 ants on his drive
way may find it necessary at times.
The rat is around us, no matter where we
live. The bird feeding station merely brings
him into the open. 1t does not attract rats in
the ordinary sense; it shows them up for what
they are, where they are.
II mankind is foolish enough land helpless
enough to blow himself into smithereens he
may feel sure that he will leave behind him still
a world to be inherited.
Insects and rats, he may feel certain, will
be there, no matter what happens to his dogs,
his cats and his birds.
Our correspondents rat probably was not
eating the doormat, but merely taking away
some of the fibre to make nest with.
Young rats may be said to be cute, in the
sense that baby rabbits are cute.
They have a sort Of trundling motion, when
they run. They enjoy chasing each other
around q wood pile (which Is hne to attract
rats.
Rats are perhaps the most intelligent Of Ill
rodents rodents comprise the largest family
Of mammals. Three familiar rodents are rab-
bits, squirrels and house mice)
Amazing tales are told Of the thinking powers
Of rats Something Of this ability may Be
seen at bird feeding station.
Often the rodents dig tunnels along garages
and come out near feeding place, from which
they take back sunfiower seeds to the nest.
One old rat dug himself q tunnel 10 feet long
through q snow drift, SO that he need not come
out into the open in visiting feeding station
The tunnel was as neat piece of excavation
Is any one could have done 1t enabled the
rat to suddenly appear right at the seed His
comings and going were like clockwork all day
long. The birds got 50 used to him that they
scarcely moved when he appeared.
Chipmunks. Of course are rodents. The name
comes from the Ojibway word for ground sQuir-
! rel, Is differentiated from tree squirrel