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From: dugdale@camlot.DEC (Susan Dugdale, 264-4824, MK01-2/K13)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: Birds vs. Wedding Rice
Message-ID: <594@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Feb-85 11:51:31 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.594
Posted: Fri Feb 15 11:51:31 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Feb-85 05:57:15 EST
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 59

Although I enjoy reading net.rec.birds, it isn't a very active 
newsgroup.  In the interest of possibly sparking a little 
discussion, I thought I'd share with you a tidbit I picked up off 
the AP wire earlier this week.  Since there has been so much 
discussion in the newsgroups lately about reproducing copyrighted 
material, I have decided to summarize and selectively quote from 
the article rather than actually post it.  (Does anyone know if 
news stories carried on the wires are copyrighted?)

                 *************************

Connecticut State Representative Mae Schmidle has introduced 
legislation that would ban the throwing of uncooked rice at 
Connecticut weddings.  According to Mrs. Schmidle, birds eat the 
raw rice left on the ground.  The birds are unable to digest the 
rice; it expands in their stomachs and causes violent deaths.  
She is quoted as saying, "I've heard from several ministers who 
say that the next morning after a wedding, they see all the birds 
toppled over because they got poisoned by the rice."

The article goes on to quote three Connecticut Audubon members. 
""It sounds crazy," said Roland C. Clement of Norwalk, a past 
president of the Connecticut Audubon Society and currently 
president of the Connecticut Ornithological Association. "I have 
50 years of professional experience as a practicing ornthologist 
and I've never heard of such a thing before. Of course, there can 
always be a first time, but I would have to see some evidence 
before I would promote the idea." Asked if he thought it was 
possible that birds would be killed by raw rice, Clement said: "I 
personally doubt it.""

"Karl Wagener, a former top official with the Connecticut Audubon 
Society who now heads the state Council on Environmental Quality, 
also questioned the need for Mrs. Schmidle's bill. "I've never 
heard of anything like that ever, and I read an awful lot of 
bird-oriented literature," he said.""

"David Emerson, assistant director of the Connecticut Audubon 
Society, said the topic had never come up in any discussions he 
knew of within the society." 

The bill would impose a $50 fine for throwing rice.

--from Associated Press Tues 12-FEB-85 
   AP Writer Judd Everhart

                   ***************************

So how 'bout it?  Anyone out there have any experience with this 
sort of thing?
  
Susan Dugdale
DEC
Continental Blvd MK01-2/K13
Merrimack, NH 03054

I'm new at this, but I think the return address is something 
like... decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-camlot!dugdale
        dugdale%camlot.DEC@decwrl.ARPA