Evening star., 1948-04-29
This and That
By Charles E. Tracepell
CARLTON AVENUE NE.

"CARLTON AVENUE NE
Dear Sir:
Your recent article relative to birds and
music brings to mind an incident, as follows:
I was working in downtown Office building,
and heard a lot Of short bird trills In a
small tree were numerous English sparrows,
which were trying to initiate longer more
powerful trill coming from somewhere out of
sight.
Il stuck my head out the window to see If
could identify the bird they were initiating.
1t was man with water whistles, and he was
trllllng on one as he went down the street.
Yours very truly, H. E. j."
One of these whistles is a good thing to
have around the house, if you are interested
in birds.
Even in the suburbs, where there are plenty
of songsters, one of these whistles will cause
the singers to redouble their efforts.
There was a blond saleSgirl in busy
downtown dime store"
She was having lot of fun standing in the
doorway. attracting the attention of passers-by
with one OF these whistles.
The sound was so powerful that it could
easily have been heard across the street
despite the traffic noise.
We got whistle, of course. We fall for
most sidewalk gadgets, and this was almost
on the sidewalk.
Then there was that man with the dancing
VI,
easily realized that there must be some trick
to it, but it was not easy to see the invisible
black thread that was affixed to the cat.
When we got the cat home, its rubber bal
loon head would not initiate at least with
ordinary blowing.
bicycle pump was in order, and this did It,
II X II
If you like the birds, we recommend water
whistle.
Any instrument of this sort will attract
birds. and cause them to sing louder.
Few devices, though, are as natural as one
of these whistles.
They even have played parts in symphony
orcheStraS Nothing quite takes their place.
if a bird must be initiated.
Some of them manage to do a better job
than Others of course, but the birds are not
particular.
Their hearing aids take in the sound, not
the intent They hear what seems very
loud bird, and they try to outdo him.
II there is no competition (and it would be
difficult to prove it, the bird whistle just stirs
them up, let us say
1t is well known that when one wants to
make canary sing that will not sing without
urging nothing does better than a whistle, or
violin, piano, or even phonograph or radio
One would think ofhand that flute might
be even better.
Or fife!
1t is much to the credit of the birds that
they always recognize music as such, whether
it comes from the elaborate symphony Or
chestra or the simple water whistle.
This is odd, since these feathered creatures
know nothing of the appreciation of music ="
to use the silly phrase that has gained so
much credence nowadays.
Birds trouble their brains not at all over
melody, rhythm harmony composition, and
yet they excel in all of them.
Wood thrushes use double notes, real
| harmony; woodpeckers understand rhythm;
mockingbirds create melodies, as do all birds
OF course; and all of them compose, too; at
least to a certain extent.
We may feel sure that If they had known
how to develop a living language, universal
among them, they would have gone on to
create music far in advance of any they now
have. maybe even better than our own.
This universal bird music of the future
that never came
Would it not have been thrilling to listen
to? And since we were never fated to hear
it, may we not be perfectly satisfied with what
we have?
An old mocker on limb on a moonlight
night, or beautiful thrush at eve or a song
sparrow on a gatepost these make music.
if not of the spheres, at least of this earth,
green and ronins in springtime to unknown
destinies.