Evening star., 1948-11-29
This and That
BIZ Charles Il. TrGcetDell


From Arlington, Va. T. L. w. writes:
II see the open season Is again here for the
shooting Of quail.
Few people here seem to know the great
value Of these birds as destroyers OF beetles.
Out in Iowa they are protected for their value
to the potato CROP Here Is o bird not much
larger than q matured robin, who cheers US
every year with his bob-white call, almost
wiped out by our brave hunters. Why not pro-
tect them Gas some one said there Is not
enough meat on them to justify powder and
shot. believe they would be big help to
at least halt the terrible ravages OF these
Japanese beetles, which seem to be increasing
yearly Our agricultural experts don't seem to
be able to do anything about the Japs 50
why not give these fine little quail chance?"
- kA
From M. T. J. of Hyattsville, Md, the fol-
lowing:
The inclosed clipping from my home town
paper is quite thought provoking and I feel
that a man with your following should have
a chance to see it.
I'm not sure that you will be convinced, but
the author certainly has point-namely, that
stray cats and some tame ones are a deadly
menace to ground nesting birds. There Is an
imbalance of nature there; when mans pets
get too numerous and 60 over to q wild or
stray status, it's too bad. Let me add that we
get q great deal Of pleasure from your columns
and when you do dissertation on some par
ticular bird I clip it for my ornithologist
brother in Delaware"
We believe there Is too much worry. all
around, about the inroads Of some natural
creatures against other natural creatures.
Nature, as an institution, has been at 1t .
long time.
There were birds catching insects cats catch
ing birds, men killing birds and animals, long
before the conservative instincts of mankind
%Ian
Today really great strides have been made
in conservation.
We always will have with US. however. some
OF the cat haters, it seems who insist. at least
by inference, that all cats do is kill birds, and
that all cats kill birds.
From this simple thesis they build up in
their own minds species Of hatred akin to
the terrible blood lust that caused the deaths
in Europe of 100000 people in ovens.
The worst thing these professional cat haters
do is to attempt to build up in the public
mind the image Of all cats as killers.
Not only do they seek to induce fair-mnded
people to get this image Of the cat-as-killer,
but they also attempt to put over-and there
Is no other phrase for 1.-THE false idea that
all cats do in the open is try to catch BIRDS
Nothing could be more false.
We have watched cats in the open for count
less hours, and know, as any fair-minded
cats spend most of their time simply enjoy
ing the outdoors.
This need for fresh air comes because OF
their ancestry Cats kept in are deprived, to
that extent, Of their birthright.
The picture of all cats endlessly seeking the
blood Of poor birds is absurd.
Cats fnd too much amusement scouting
around, playing with each other, to put all
their time into the chase.
And If they do kill birds, who put them up
to It?
The friend OF all life will try his best to
protect birds, but he will not reflect on the
Maker of life by casting too many structures
on the method He instituted in the first place
for keeping life in animal bodies.
We do not know the reason for cruelty and
death here; they seem terrible, and unneces-
sary Perhaps in some other life the mystery
shall be solved for us. But there is one thing
of which we may be sure: That while here,
we had best mind our own business, and not
become too worried at the way the natural
creatures mind their own. 1t is too bad that
interest in one phase of nature sometimes
makes honest men and women grow red in the
face and froth at the mouth over some deed
eminently natural, and causes them to magnify
it out of all proportion to the truth. The at
tempt to get at the truth of all things Is our
major work here below; If we disort the simple
things our eyes see, how will we ever solve
the major problems Of peace and war here,
or awake in His likeness there, when the time
comes as 1t must TO all menf