Evening star., 1949-03-19
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1Deu

pigeons. These fat birds find modern city
conditions much to their liking. AS a city
grows older and larger and dlrtler. the
pigeons thrive, because the more people. the
more food is left lying around the streets,
This food is sometimes put out for them
purposely, but in the main it is scraps OF
sandwiches, candy bars, peanut butter crack
ers, cookies and cakes, etc. Many persons
have the untidy habit of eating as they go
along the street, and often throw away
crusts."
= All this plays right into the pigeons bills.
These big fat birds have an uncanny way IN
traffic They seldom are run over. although
every minute they seem to tempt fate. They
fly down, and up again, waiting until the
very last second.
People who like them at first shudder. but
in time come to feel that no harm will come
to them.
Other people carry handfuls Of grain. or
oatmeal, and sprinkle 1t along as they walk.
Sometimes they ladle out little oatmeal
at a corner.
The downtown pigeons are used to this sort
of thing. They seem to know just by looking
at a person whether he or she Is touch
in the food line
Some people worry about the pigeons,
having heard that they carry diseases.
Actually. there is no danger in them.
All living things carry diseases.
The skins Of humans are covered with
bacteria and their throats harbor millions
Of germs.
It was an old wives tale OF yesteryear
that house cats carried diphtheria germs.
They might. Just as many humans carry
germs Of various diseases. notably typhoid.
But that many persons ever got diphtheria
from a cat Is an absurd belief No one was
ever able to prove even one case.
Pigeons may have certain maladies, but
the chance of any human being catching
them is remote.
Pigeons do good, by helping keep decaying
bits Of food cleaned up. They act, indeed,
as city scavengers.
Squirrels, too, have been accused of carry
ing diseases. People seldom come in direct
contact with squirrels, any more than they
do with pigeons
If one listened to the harbingers Of disease,
he would be in panic. There are more
than 1000 possible human maladies; scare
campaigns" for all Of them, as we already
have for few Of them, would leave life not
worth living.
Attempts to panic groups into killing some
one animal are very old.
One time it is the cats. II you listened to
these propagandizers. all cats should be
rejects such specious plea. For II the cats
were killed. 1t would soon be the dogs, and
then all up and down the line.
The instinct for killing is very deep seated.
It "outs" at the slightest temptation in mil
lions Of people.
When you hear certain persons claiming
that some animal, or some bird, is terrible
danger and should be killed, watch out for
the follow-up. This simply means that II
they are successful one place, they will
want to begin killing again shortly in an
other direction.
Pigeons offer no danger to any one. They
seem to 60 with old cities. because. as pointed
out, older cities are dirtier cities, and thus
more food particles are left lying around
These particles one for one, are very small
In most cases, but their aggregate is large
The pigeons and the sparrows clean them
up. aided by the starlings. The birds can
not eat the whisky bottles. whole and broken
they ind, but they would if they could, they
are that hungry.
Pigeons move from one section to another
as they smell food. They have remarkably
good powers Of scent and excellent eyesight
They also use their common bird sense that
Is, they watch their fellows and when they
see one leaving the group they suspect he
is up to something. They follow him and
sure enough, they find he has new source
Of food, maybe bird feeding place In this
way what one pigeon finds, the remainder
enjoy
Pigeons are beautiful birds, marvellous
flyers, good city scavengers. Most people
will look with suspicion on moves to get rid
Of them Those who advocate such measures
may take into their heads to extend their
power later-and who knows then but that
"we the people," may be upon the receiv-
ing end?