Evening star., 1948-04-27
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,UeH
"TAKOMA PARK, Md.

sDear Sir:
You have spoken from time to time of peo-
pie who lure the birds to their hands with food.
There must be something the matter with
me- for have tried it for years, but not even a
common sparrow comes.
Maybe they don't like my smell, or perhaps
do not use the right sort of bait. I do not,
however, feel that miss anything
L enjoy the birds and do all can for them.
and they have repaid me with much beauty and
sheer JOY Of living, so that do not much care
II one comes to my hand or not.
Still, I must confess that now and then
when 1 read about it, wonder if I really
wouldn't like to have just one little bird fy
down close.
IF you have any suggestions, they would be
appreciated by me. With best wishes
Yours sincerely, E. M"
Our good correspondent should not worry
about this
Birds are best in the air, not on people S
shoulders or hands.
AS for this business of letting a bird take a
seed from between the lips, it is both insanitary
and silly.
The ability to charm birds is not common to
every one.
1t is something of gift, and the rest of us
should not lament too much about not possess
ing it.
The real thing, in feeding and watching the
birds, is-you have guessed 1.-THE bird itself
The best watcher is he who sees them as
nearly naturally as possible. 1t always has
seemed to us that bird in the hand is not as
natural as one in the bush.
The bush, let us say, is where it belongs
II 1t comes to hand, it does it through some
force possessed by the human being in the
scene.
This may be an inner calmness, sweetness of
character, sanity of mind, or some quality
unknown.
On the other hand it may be nothing more
than that the bird likes ones odor!
There may be certain natural affinity be-
tween those who naturally attract the birds
and the feathered fellows.
Perhaps, in the long range of living things,
there is certain elemental something, maybe
a sort OF SOUL or over-soul which is common
to them all.
1t may be that certain people have just bit
more of this than others Certainly, it is well
known that not every one can be an animal
trainer
1t easily is seen that not many persons, no
matter how much they love the birds, are able
to attract many of them to their hands.
We hope no one will worry about not pos
sessing the gift.
1t makes no difference.
The real place of every bird is in the air
BIRD Is never so much bird as when
flying.
Some OF them, notably the swallows, spend
most of their waking minutes on the wing.
Old buzzards lazily glide over selected areas,
hour after hour.
Pigeons, for all their clumsy takeoffs, find
the air their chosen element
A pigeon is never so much alive, it would
seem, as when flying swift as an arrow from
town to town.
The only suggestion to make, to one who still
wishes to lure bird to hand, is patience, still
more patience
Quick movements must be avoided.
The nearer one can make ones self resemble
tree the more certain bird is to alght.
But If you want to make sure the birds will
eat you up, try to resemble a sunflower seed
Or be a good imitation Of a raSin-that
would WOW" them especially the cardinals
srarrows' mockinspirds and wood thrushesl