Evening star., 1949-06-27
This and That
By Charles Z. Trdce1pell

Recently our bird population has fallen
on, and wonder II there Is anything
can do about it, we have fed them for
many years. and this is the nrst time we
have no birds ut all.
Il have examined the entire neighbor-
hood. not just our own particular block.
but can find no reason for it. There are
no hawks. no owls. no bad boys with air
rifles. no common sparrows. particularly,
and only q few starlings.
Il wcnder II they viii come back, or has
something happened to them? II 50, what?
Do you think there Is anything to the
idea some people have. that use Of DDT
Is killing them OF?
mot only Is the disappearance Of our
own birds distressing. but the puzzle remains
II there Is any puzzle, what do you think?
"Yours truly. E. D. s."
When birds suddenly disappear from a
home station. the first thing to do is to look
around carefully as our correspondent has
done.
The second is to wait.
Sometimes q given group Of home birds"
As six weeks.
Then. suddenly. and as mysteriously as
they left. they will come back.
Often 1t Is As sudden as no birds in a
yard in the afternoon, and q dozen or two
dozen there the next morning.
Often the reason Is unknown. pa.
Some people have no birds on Sundays
The writer il In this category Where
there may be 50 birds on Saturday, there are
two or none on Sunday.
The explanation IL hard to find. Sunday
morning Is Is quiet time as we have
There must be some explanation. but what
1t is-well. 1t must be q guess.
Some friends Of birds say that blue jays
never show on Fridays There is . legend
connected with this, that they 60 to visit
the devil on that day.
Probably they get this idea from the fact
that jays come to feeding stations only on
schedules as 1t were. In one yard they ap-
pear at 7:20 o'clock In the morning, remain
20 minutes. then fly on. II the watcher Is
busy and does not see them, he may not
hear them. either. when he win say that
the birds are missing. Actually they were
present. but he did not know It.
Birds have habits all their own, some OF
which are unknown. Conjecture still rules
the roost. In science. laws are often no
more than xhrewd guesses. In natural hts
tory (the old name. and . good one) there
Is still . great deal to be learned. Only
recently have new guesses been made as to
Ao" oAoo AAiu ttieH way III mt8IdLlOu 10
some these new guesses are no more salts
factory than the old ones. but they win have
to do for the time being.
It is impossible to know. at this time. II
the use Of DDT and other poisons is harm
ing the BIRDS Some say 1t IL. others say
1t fS not. As In all matters today, there IL
disputation.
Folks who are interested In wild life can
keep their equilibrium. while they keep on
looking around them. There are billions Of
birds. and 1t would be q long time before
even the highest authorities could be sure
Of the effects Of widely used sprays. II
any. Care has been taken. In many spray
ing projects. and long-hard to understand
reports written as . result.
There viii have to be q great deal more
checking and recheckins hone than has been
done. to date. before any one is In position
to say positively that widespread use OF
sprays and poisons against plant enemies
and diseases u causing 4 decline In our
American birds In the meantime. some
may even 20 20 far as TO take advantage Of
the situation to place the blame. II there u
any blame. on the starlings, on the common
sparrows, ON the cats. on humans. IL
BID subject. and the best any one can do Is
70 keep his eyes open. and his mind In .
state Of honest fairness. n anything n
happening to our birds. most sensible Amer
leans want 70 know ii. because II v only
After Z situation II recognized that any
real steps tan Be taken. Government and
private. 70 Yight It. One swallow does not
make . summer. and lack Of birds In one
small lot cannot be held TO represent .
Aeelame n blEd NE. unlsaR q somso. = =
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