|> I am thinking about the following quotation, wondering
|> if anyone can substantiate or deny the implicit
|> allegation about rice -- I thought that some birds in
|> some countries ate rice quite a bit, even to 'pest'
|> status:
|>
|> from "Your Victorian Wedding" by Georgene Lockwood:
|>
|> "Here are some alternative to throwing rice (which is
|> deadly to birds) ......"
|>
|> Alan Richards / alanr at ednet1.osl.or.gov
|> ==============

This is a widespread urban legend.
Rice is thrown at weddings ; it ends up on driveways, lawns, etc. ;
it is eaten by birds ; it swells up in their stomachs causing them
to die horrible deaths ; next morning, your lawn will be full of dead
robins with their little feet sticking into the air.

But at least it's a harmless urban legend.

The Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus, which means "rice-eater") eats rice,
to such an extent that it used to be regarded as an agricultural
pest and was persecuted.

Daan Sandee sandee at cmns.think.com
Mountain View, CA 94041