Evening star., 1949-09-05
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweU
"EDMONSTON, Alberta.

Dear Sir:
Your correspondent B. J. s. may be
interested to know that hummingbirds may
be found as far north as Edmonston. AL
berta. Around Edmonston, just about SIS
degrees northern latitude, the ruby throated
hummingbird is commonly seen and has
been reported as far as 275 miles north
of this in Alberta.
"On April IL last hummingbird bat
tered itself against the window of the club
where was playing golf in Victoria. British
Columbia, and. fortunately, was not injured
The rufous hummingbird may be found as
far as the yukon border, and in the foothills
of Alberta, the callope hummingbird has
been found as far north as Wrangell Alaska
Yours very truly. H. c. j., M. D."
Our hummers are such dainty mites that
one commonly fails to associate them with
such distances as the flight from Mexico
to Alaska.
But they do it every year by the thou
sands Many, of course. fail to make the
5oo-mile nonstop trip across the Gulf of
Mexico.
The ruby-throat the only species to come
to Washington, d. c., goes as far north as
50 degrees latitude.
Some of these little fellows go to the
island Of Cuba, while others drift as far
south as Panama.
The rufous hummer goes north to latitude
81 degrees.
The calliope hummingbird is the smallest
in the United States. It goes as far north
as DR.. j. says, and builds its nest in pine
close to cone, so much resembling a very
small cone that it is seldom discovered.
This true mite of bird is just inches
long, including bill and tail; the bill and
tail. in fact, make up half of the length.
And here's q reader who deeply resented
famous naturalist as quoted here re-
Gently. calling the common sparrow "a
feathered rat"
RAT my eyes!" or words to that effect.
says w. w. L. Of Zone i3.
fright in the heart of Washington" he
writes, where we have been blitzed with
Japanese beetles, dub the English sparrow
and startling the kings of beetle eaters.
1.-THE sparrow is head OF the list. and the
startling second best as wholesale destroyers
Of the Jap curses.
"Other birds aid. but never have they
shown the gluttinous habits of these two
yes, far outclassed, when it comes to eating
beetles, they cannot be seen in the dust of
the two kingpins. the sparrow and the
startling"
SILVER SPRING.
Dear Sir:
Some years ago found a small toad in
my backyard.
He was not afraid of me, so I stroked
his velvety head with my finger. He ate
some bread put out for birds.
Next day while I was in the yard was
surprised when he jumped right in front Of
me. he was so friendly and not afraid.
II put out water for him, but after that
he never showed up. and felt badly, think
ing a cat or something had happened to him,
I suppose a cat would kill them. do not
know why people si1un the little toad he is
so clean and velvety to touch, and in
telligent also.
IT Am glad the starting has been spared.
do not know why persons malign them
and tell lies about them, like the toad. When
one studies things like birds. one gets to
know them. but persons talk at random
about the startling, when all the time 1t is
really the nasty grackle they really see doing
all the malicious things. The starting does
not molest any bird whatever.
VERY respectfully. K. J. NJ"
The other morning we threw out some old
crackers for the birds.
This was q bonus, of course the feeding
station being fully stocked.
At the moment we tossed the dozen or
SO crackers into the yard band Of "a
grackles was passing over the yard at q
height Of 1000 feet or more.
They spotted the white squares in the
grass IS they few, and within 80 seconds
were down enjoying them.
Such q cracker-grabbing is seldom seen,
but the Joy was short. Old Malty, the cat,
suddenly poked his head around the garage.
Each grackle seized last bite and flew
away, the tremendous Tapping Of wings
causing the cat to stand big-eyed by the
peony bushes.