July 31, 2026
The Limits and Damage of Rat Poison
Chicago's watchdog agency just released a report detailing the failures of the city's rat-control efforts-- beginning with the over-reliance on…

Last week I asked:
When I visited Montreal, I was struck by this painting, “Mother d’Youville Giving to the Poor,” by Marius Dubois, in the Notre-Dame Basilica.
How many birds do you see in this painting? Can you I.D. them? Do they hold any special meaning?
The answer — (thanks to Ned Mueller):
(Brown-headed Cowbird, moulting juv. male, or faded attempt at Red-winged Blackbird), American Goldfinch, Mourning Dove (most important Christian symbol of love, appears in the Christian catacombs in Rome, well before 300AD), Baby bird (fidelity, family), Purple Finch, House Sparrow
(Earlier post had closeups of the birds)