BIRDS, BEASTS, AND BOMBS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 January 1941, Page 9

BIRDS, BEASTS, AND BOMBS

-<s► REACTION TO DIN Reactions of birds and beasts to the din of aerial warfare over Britain is discussed by a contributor to Tne Times.” . “As regards wild birds,” he says, “there is a good deal of evidence that many of the larger kinds are disturbed by the sound of bombs or antiaircraft fire. With song-birds, however, the chief reaction seems to be to aircraft. These are treated as if they were hawks, the birds scattering downward and crouching to avoid detection. “There are two curious exceptions to this; neither robins nor any member of the swallow tribe have been seen to pay the slightest attention to aircraft. The stories of gulls giving warning of the approach of hostile aircraft are presumably based on the same reaction; their keen senses —eyes more probably than ears —detect the aeroplanes a little before they are audible or visible to human beings. . “Domestic animals vary individually. Some dogs have what may be called A.R.P. sense, and distinguish perfectly between the alert and the all-clear signals. One cat has been reported in this category; at the alert she comes indoors to take shelter, but| when the raiders-passed signal is given she jumps up and scratches to be let out She is indifferent to mere noise. Other dogs show no recognition of the difference between the sirens’ signals. Again, some dogs do not mind the noise of guns and bombs, or even seem to like it, while others are miserably frightened and crawl under the furniture. Some parrots dislike the noise, and scream loudly and hysterically.”