Evening star., 1948-10-12
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,oeu

MITCHMLvIILE, Md.
"Your column in the Star is most enjoy
able and I am seeking your help in identity
ing bird by its song.
Il am little confused about it, as cannot
follow the birds to observe them as when I
was younger
This is my inqury-just how many Diff
1erent songs does the cardinal have?
Does the female have q different song
from the male?
And does a young cardinal sing before q
II have delighted in the Keehoo, Keehoo. >
OF the male cardinal high on the topmost
branch Of tree, also in his ecstatic love
song IN the spring; but there is q cardinal
song that sounds, Surely, surely, surelyl'
Could this be the song of the female?
I shall appreciate any help from you, and
thank you sincerely for the philosophy and
Yours truly, A. o. W."
- -
Most people think cardinal has only q
call and few songs, maybe two or three.
One watcher counted % different songs
In three days.
Each bird has several, and that means
three or more
In addition to its call rich "cue cue" there
are standard phrases possessed by almost every
specimen.
There is a rapid string Of notes, sometimes
set down as hip ip, ip, ip,' etc.
Then there is the familiar cheer, cheer
cheer" in ringing tones.
Individual specimens may start off slowly
then accelerate, or keep the same pace or
begin fast and slow down, or speed up to the
center, then slow down, and so on.
The female cardinal is a singer, too, un-
like most female birds, and her song is
very much like her mates, but usually much
softer
The young birds can sing in their first
spring, and the song is exactly like their
fathers song, as might be expected, but
usually not so loud nor as clearly defined.
There is some quality to the cardinal melody
that infuses hope in all human hearers
No matter how sad the state of the world
seems, when we are forced to think of such
things as atom bombs and high-powered
rockets, the song of a redbird will instantly
convince the hearer that Gods in His heaven
all's right with the world"
It's brilliant coat, its spirited song and its
feeding habits entitle the redbird to ou,
favor. 1t Is one of the best birds we have
and fortunately is permanent resident.
In our memories, the sight of dozen male
cardinals, with their wives, all perched in
one bush, is unforgettable.
**#
"LANDOvER, Md.
OtdI
Recently large group of some sort O,
insect gathered around my back porch The;
flew around and around in a sort of circle
We couldn't catch one, they circled so rapidly
Wings seemed irridescent, rather large
head, long tail, ringed around, as well a.
we could see. They flew very swiftly.
II have never seen anything like them be-
FORE Looked a bit like a bird except the
long tail was not famed out but coil-like.
Sincerely E. E. NJ"
Probably some sort of moth. maybe the
sphinx or other evening moth, often con.
fused with the -uby-throated hummingbird
B. c. r. of Bethesda, Md, wants to know
the identity of bird he describes as follows
THE bird is small, about the size of 9
wild canary, only chubbier; back, greeny-
gray; breast, light gray with bar of black
or brown, across it; tail, striped in black OF
brown, and white, crosswise; wings when
folded seemed speckled; back is similar ir
shape to that Of the cardinal and is red.
| orange, having tiny black and white stripe
| at its base. There Is alsosa round spot ol
the red-orange next to stripes at the base
| of its beak."
What do you think 1t Is?