Evening star., 1949-03-04
This and That
By Charles E. TraceWell
BETHESDA, Md.

DE f1GSDA, MO
Dear Sir:
Some months ago wrote you about
BIRDS and I watched the paper every day
for an answer, but never saw any reference
to my letter.
However, I read your column every day
and I am always interested in what you say.
Now some birds have arrived. and am
writing to ask if you can identify them for
me. They are about the size of a small SPAR
row, olive green in color with medium tail.
They have black wings which extend back
to the tail and have single distinct white
bar and white back near the tail. There is
quite flock of them.
VERY truly yours, E. B. L."
-
This shows the right spirit Sometimes
a letter is overlooked. for some reason. with
the best spirit in the world.
Again. letter may ask question we cam
not answer, and until we can find out about
the question we do not answer it. Nothing
could be simpler!
The birds mentioned above are gold
f1nches.
These little beauties fly in flocks, and
often fool people.
At the different seasons of the year their
dresses change somewhat, so that they are
very likely to be mistook for something elSe
A reader calls up to say that the praying
mantis the queer insect resembling giant
grasshopper is very fond of clans, and
probably oysters.
So the correspondent who was trying to
feed some of the nantes Correct pluraD in
the house might try clans. and oysters too.
At Stone Harbor, N. j., the caller said.
the nantes often few down where clans
were being shelled Cor it is shuckedO and
would greedily consume the meat.
CLANS and oysters. then, might make
good offerings to praying nantes born IN
doors. They offer a real feeding problem
The Jelly from multiple vitamin capsules
has been suggested. along with bits OF liver
The egg case Of the praying mantis is
about an inch in diameter, light or dark
gray in color, sometimes tan.
About so of the odd insects hatch out at
a temperature of SO degrees or better.
When an egg case is detached from the
bush where it has been hung and taken
indoors the heat of the house brings the
insects out.
Caring for them is not easy. Most per-
sons who try it are pleased II they bring
few Of them to maturity
In this event they should be put outside
as soon as the weather becomes warmer.
The praying mantis has a difficult life.
So many humans regard them with fear
The creatures are killed in great numbers,
though there is no harm in them. In fact,
as a general thing, the mantis is friend OF
man, consuming many smaller insects
usually regarded as inimtcal
Yet people unacquainted with it want to
kill it on sight This is the same urge that
overcomes so many when they see hawk
or snake. There are only three or four
hawks that deserve to be killed, and prob
ably not more than 20 snakes Yet the first
and only thought of many persons, when
they see one or the other, is to kill. Could
it be that this is what causes wars?
| A telephone caller recountS the Staying
of favorite downy woodpecker by hawk.
"Of all our birds, why did it have to be
that one?"
| That is another question that must re-
| main unanswered. 1t reminds one OF the
| poet who said so plaintlvely that he never
| loved a gazelle, but it had to die.
What happens, of course, is that atten-
| ton and affection are focused on one Specl-
men, and that when something happens to
| this one it is felt great deal more than a
| similar mishap to one of the crowd.
We always eye each robin of spring to
| see if it is Lily Belle come back. She re-
| turned for six years, but not last year.
Maybe that was Lily we heard the other
day.