National Affairs: Gas Attack

One of civic Washington's greatest problems is starlings, small insectivorous birds first brought to the U. S. in 1890 from England to combat sparrows. One Civil Works relief project during the past two months was to oust great crowds of starlings from downtown Washington. At night CWA men climbed trees, scaled roofs, went after the birds. Result was that the starlings fled for sanctuary to the Capitol. Flocks of them darkened the dome, settled on window ledges, twittered, committed nuisances until Congressmen could no longer bear them. David Lynn, Capitol architect, was assigned to drive them off. He rigged a series...

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