Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-14
This and That
By Charles r. Trdce,Dell
LEGATION STREET.

Dear Sir:
Il have much enjoyed many OF your ob.erva-
tions in This and That. Seventy years ago,
when was boy in Southern Michigan, If we
did not have one hundred days Of sleighing
during winter we thought we had missed
something
In my fathers front yard was an immense
mountain ash tree which in the late fall and
winter usually was full of the yellow clusters of
berries. and from the parlor window I spent
many hours watching the birds feeding upon
them.
THE center of the front yard was pretty
much an open space, and either I saw, or have
wildly imagined saw, on several occasions, 80
or 40 birds OF several different species sud-
denly leave the tree and fly for several min
utes in ring around the center Of the yard,
and then return to their feeding.
Il have often wished to ask some one If they
had ever seen such an occurrence or heard Of
such. I have never seen the like or heard of
1t elsewhere, yet 1t is one Of the most vivid
and persistent memories of my childhood.
rs the seeming memory just a creature Of
my imagination. or have you ever heard or
known OF the like? Sincerely, F. L. L. H.
Our correspondent must have seen a COM
bined flock OF cedar waxwings and Bohemian
waxwings.
These beautiful birds combine into small
focks, of from 80 to go members in the fall,
and keep together all winter until nesting time
in spring.
Seventy years ago, in Lower Michigan, no
doubt they were far more plentiful than today.
Probably the flock was composed mostly Of
the cedar waxwlngs, with perhaps a few Be-
henian WaXwtngS.
The mountain ash Is a favorte Of both these
birds, as 1t is of the evening grosbeak blue
bird catbird, Baltimore orioe and many others.
The trees carry the fruits from July to late
March. 1t may be understood that this is,
them one of the best natural bird feeders
in the world, and undoubtedly should be planted
much more than 1t is by all persons who love
the wild birds and cater to their needs.
The beautiful waxwines of so long ago, as
seen by our correspondent, no doubt were
simply taking little mass exercise, as they
flew around the yard
The fact that they went in circle was
dictated, perhaps, by the shape Of the yard,
and the existence of the central open space.
We have watched small fishes In an aquarium
do much the same thing.
The most interesting performance We ever
saw along this line was put on by about 80
gourams, small silvery fellows, rather on the
fat side, shaped like tiny bmps.
These were born in the aquarium. The
parents are bubble nest builders; that is, they
secrete a mass of bubbles which congregate
at the surface. and in these are laid the eggs
The parents take excellent care of them,
and usually, with good management, bring
them all to maturity
Well, the 80 were almost full grown, when
one day we happened to glance toward the
aquarium, and scarcely could believe our eyes
at what we saw.
Approximately half Of the fishes were crcling
from left to right, at about the middle Of the
aquarium, and the other half were circling in
a smaller circle inside the first one-and in
the opposite direction!
This performance went on for about min
ute, after which the fishes broke ranks, as it
were, and went back to the usual placid SWIM
ming around.
We never saw such a performance again,
by any set Of fishes, and never heard Of any
one else who had. No explanation was forth
coming.
With the waxwings we have an explanation
of Sort These are contented. happy birds,
glad to be together.