Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-14
This and That
Rv Charles E. TraceweH

Resident Of Falls Church, Va, route 2,
wants to know II it is usual for hooking
birds to sing so late, as they were. doing
on November I.
Though several hundred of these fine
birds remain In and around the Washington
area all winter, they do not sing, as q rule.
1t was the unusually warm fall which
made them loosen up their vocal chords,
called syrinx.
It is the possession of these chords that
earns them the title Of singing birds. Even
crows, with their harsh cav. qualify as sing
ing birds.
Mockers are more interested In food in
the North during the cold months.
Those that stay with us-and fine fellows
they are-look eagerly for berried shrubs.
They take peculiar delight in raisins,
both the seeded and unseeded varieties, so
that those with an especial affection for
these birds can do no better than put out
these fruits.
It is great deal Of fun to lure a mock
ingbird by putting raisins on window sill,
or porch rail.
The bird soon knows where to look, and
will flutter In front Of the window pane, If
the raisins are not forthcoming when he
thinks they should be.
II no better place can be found, the lawn
will do very nicely.
full toss.
Let them fall where they will. the mocker
will find them all.
So, too. will the sparrow, the startling.
the nuthatch, and every other species. in
Guiding the jay, which remains here all
winter.
Another good food to lure the hooking
bird-and no one can blame him-is the
doughnut.
How bland they used to seem. and how
terrible when one gets older!
The gall bladder, for instance, cannot
stand the fat.
1t is the fat which gives the doughnut its
filling" powers also much of its melting
taste.
compelling taste, surely.
Many human who has been forbidden
to eat doughnuts goes around the block to
avoid passing one Of the doughnut shops.
The powerful aroma they send out. sweet
and tasty, often overcomes the will.
What has become Of power of will?
One no longer hears anything about 1t,
but In the old days books were written about
it, and many an earnest person believed
that all problems, personal, national and
international, were to be solved through
will power alone.
And maybe they had something there.
after all Perhaps what we need today, in
the midst of our many pressing problems,
is more viii power.
Certainly one often runs into situation
where just plain old fashioned determine
ton seems to be the needed factor for bet
terment.
And 1t is just as hard to exert ones viii
power today as it was then, perhaps more
SO, since often there has been no childhood
exercise Of this sterling faculty.
The mockingbird does not need to deny
himself doughnuts.
He never heard Of gall bladder troubles.
The necessity for denying ones self any
thing that tastes good is utterly unknown
in the animal kingdom. The creatures Of
the strict Wild, feathered and furred, 50 live
that they can handle" almost anything In
the food lines which instinct tells them TO
sample.
An apple cut in half sometimes appeals
to mockingbird
Best Of all they like such berries a. those
Of the pokeweed.
II you have volunteer" plant Of this
leggy weed. do not be In too big hurry
to cut 1t down.
Many birds. and especially the mocker.
viii like the berries. as will other wild things.
including field mice. The way Held mouse
can carry pokeheETy. full OF red juice, for
long distances wi hout splitting drop Is one
Of The wonders .9eturs.