Evening star., 1949-04-22
This and That
BY Charles E. TrdceUeU
BETHESDA, Md.

Dear Sir:
Every now and then hear some beauti-
full whistles which cannot r-n down to
any bird.
IT have looked in vain for the musician.
Could it be an invisible mockingbird?
II find the spring air filled with sounds
I cannot attach names to.
lone is high-pitched. shrill sound that
goes on for hours.
What Is it?
Thanking you. am.
Cordially. H H. D."
The first sound. the whistle, is starting.
The second Is the hyla, or spring peeper.
the little tree frog.
Starlings, for all their size, can make
about the sweetest whistles in the bird
world.
The sounds range from very soft to ultra
sweet.
Lacking sight Of the clumsy old fellow.
no listener would attribute the sound to
him. unless he had previously caught one
in the act.
The starting, for all of his vigor and
marvellous flying ability, is something OF
a wag.
We believe he likes to hide himself in
the leaves of bush or tree and puzzle folks
with his whistles.
Even a melodious small boy out on a lark
to the Zoo. cannot put together such
varied assembly of sounds.
The starting has a fine chest. plenty Of
lung power. all the steam" and air in the
world at his command. He has more sheer
muscle than a mockingbird. and about the
same equipment in his throat. There is no
reason why he could not mock. If he wanted
to; perhaps no starting ever did it, that is
all we can say about why none does 1t.
Usually starlings make odd noises. not as
unusual as the jay, but q little on the
same line.
These whistles and softer sounds seem
reserved for odd moments They may be
connected with the rites Of spring. but not
necessarily. The starting has his own rea-
sons for doing things, as no one could
doubt who has watched him enough. And
then, of course. there do not always have
to be reasons" for things. Maybe some
things can happen "just because" as the
children say.
Bird sounds are akin to human speech.
And speech is always interesting. especially
when it is by strangers Many people have
the habit of listening to the talk of others
in public places and vehicles. The two
women were talking about q friend. Over
and over the name sounded, and with 1t
a phrase from one of the women. had
not said." had not done" had not"
etc. Every few sentences, UP cropped that
phrase, until a listener found himself en-
thralled. looking for 1t to come again. as
1t always did.
The thing reminded one of the salesman
who lost his sales because he used the word
"truthfully" too many times. He did, indeed,
protest too much. The prospect found HIM
self listening with fear for the repetition,
and always hearing it, until he lost complete
track of the salesman's explanations. All
he ever remembered about that man and
his articles was one word: "Truthfully." He
ended every sentence with it, whether it
made any sense or not. It was just habit
and a bad one.
Maybe the starting whistles are made just
because the chunky black bird, with its short
tail likes to make them.
The starting is far more of a character
than the complete starting hater can be
made to understand.
Over in England, where the bird has not
become nuisance in any way, 1t is one OF
the most liked of ALL There. poets and story
writers like to bring the bird into their
poems and stories 1t is regarded with
esteem by all bird lovers. Rocks and other
large birds seem to keep it in its place by
natures old standard m@thods none OF them
nice. Over he.e, the starting has foufsd
more food, and fewer natural enemies, with
the result that sometimes, at least 70 some
people, there seem to be far too many star
lings. But If only few come around they
are usually welcomed. at least by persons
with what may be called natural common
sense. The starting is real character. q
swift and marvellous flyer. something OF a
clown. and in his own way real musician
He has been known even to be altruistic. at
least TO the extent of saving baby sparrow
from drowning. There are far worse birds
than the starting. and It is about time that
some unobservant people began to realize u.