Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-18
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceDeH "a
uRETHESDA Mr.

Dear Sir:
Recently one of your correspondents was
telling about sparrows in their role OF de-
vourers of the japanese beetles.
The other day I CHANGED to observe a
regular dinner of winged folks on Jap beetles
as the main dish.
Perhaps it is best to tell the story as
recorded it in my nature notes 1t is good
thing to keep notes Of ones observations, and
if possible to write them when ones observa-
tons are still fresh.
Here Is my report, made at the time:
Natures own feeding station was provided by
a nut tree eaten half bare by legion of
beetles Half dozen birds were feeding on
this easy dish. All were peaceful. Food was
plentiful and there was no need for fight.
The most beautiful guest was black-and-
white warbler The other guests were a
chickadee, a flicker, and some kind of green
and yellow warbler, possibly yellow-breasted
chat.
Animals are fond of the beetles. A friend
told me she had seen gray squirrels consuming
beetles in quantities. One of them sat in a
tree. He would shake branch, the beetles
would fall to the ground and two other squir-
rels would finish them.
Birds know their way in fruit orchards too.
In this time of year, when even humans may
enjoy wild cherries, these fruits offer full
dinner pail to many bird. This morning
saw many of them f1uttering about the droop-
ing branches. A bending branch, loaded with
red or black cherries, Is perfect, inspiring
model for an artist.
If all people on earth loved birds and ma
ture in general. this globe would be far more
peaceful.
II remember to have seen your column
when I came to Washington 20 years ago.
And here you are still giving this healthy and
happy reading matter day after day Many
people in my neighborhood seem to know
about it and some of my colleagues in the
Library of Congress, where I work.
Sincerely yours, I. W. s."
Birds and beasts fight a losing battle against
the japanese beetles.
We noticed in a news dispatch the other
day that certain American insects, inimical to
crops, had been found in Poland.
Such transportation occurs naturally IN the
days of the airplane.
Soon all the plant diseases will be carried
to every nation and also the insect pests.
Perhaps this Is as it should be. Then scien-
fists of all countries, in truly international
effort, will work together to protect mankind
from its true enemies.
Too often men use the word enemy"
wrongly.
There even are misguided persons who apply
it to members of other political parties, though
these are TRUE Americans, like themselves.
1t unfortunately is growing tendency for
ican Party for instance, as the enemy"
Such persons had better reserve the word for
their real enemies.
Insects constitute true enemy of all man
kind.
For many years scientists who work With
such living things have been telling us that
unless we are determined to offset them the
insects will inherit the earth.
Between these enemies, and the unfortunate
facts of erosion, mankind faces dilemmas
The worst feature of it is that the average
person has no way of estimating it. He sees
few bugs" as he calls them and never steps
to think that there are millions and millions
more of them, and that the larger our food
crops, the more there is for insects to eat, tpo.
Rats devour countless millions of dollars
worth of food annually. Erosion, insects and
rats are responsible for losses almost incredi-
BILE Most of us can do little about soil erosion,
but all Of us can help in the fight against rats
and insects.
This great battle has two sides to it, tne
personal and the impersonal. We baetlc
against the enemy as group and also as in
dividuals. If every one of us determined to
get rid of rats and insects, in as far as pos
sible, something would be done against real
enemies of mankind. But it is so easy to do
nothing! A slap at mosquito is not mosquito
control; a belief that there are no rats in
our block will not help in their eradication.
Something more must be DONE and 1t must
begin with individual determination.