ORNITHOLOGY 



145 



The writer, undertaking to speak for 

 all, said, "In the Essex woods, but 

 when any coon or any other creature 

 flees to your back dooryard for safety, 

 he surely finds it when I am on his 

 trail." Though the trees in which the 

 raccoon had taken refuge were within 

 two hundred feet of the hermit's cab- 

 in, he replied, "It is true that I have 

 some pets about here, but it is also 

 true that there are raccoons in the Essex 

 woods. If you have chased one of them 

 over here you have a right to go up the 

 tree and get it." "We may have the 

 right," the spokesman answered, "but 

 we do not care to exercise that right 

 and possibly shoot a pet coon. If you 

 will show the boys your sleeping 

 porch, we will consider ourselves re- 

 warded." 



A few steps brought us to the big 

 pines under which in a hammock sus- 

 pended between two of them Mr. Wal- 

 ton had been sleeping when awakened 

 by the dogs. 



Dr. W. H. Pomeroy. 



actually believe the hen was indicating 

 her wish for straw as her conduct was 

 very unusual. I can pick up this hen 

 at any time. 



C. D. Romig. 



Forget me-nots. 



"Forget-me-not" they breathe in blue, 

 "Forget-me-not the season through; 

 For to each gift of flowers blent, 

 We add the touch of sentiment." 



— Emma Peirce. 



Bird Confidence. 



Audenried, Pennsylvania- 

 To the Editor : 



While driving an automobile this 

 summer through the country, on a trip 

 in the direction of the Delaware Water 

 Gap, I noticed a pigeon feeding in the 

 middle of the road where it remained 

 and allowed me to pass above it, as I 

 did without disturbing or harming it. 

 Another machine just in front of mine 

 did the same thing. The bird did not 

 seem at all concerned. 



This season I have also noticed a 

 flicker raising a family in a dead tree 

 beside a busy railroad track and within 

 a hundred yards of a noisy coal break- 

 er where many boys are employed. 

 This must be largely the result of the 

 protection that birds have had in the 

 past few years. Ordinarily a flicker is 



a shv bird. 



C. D. Romig. 



The First Frost. 



Knew How to Get What She Wanted. 



Audenried, Pennsylvania- 

 To the Editor: 



I have a pair of hens which last win- 

 ter and early this spring had the range 

 of the yard and were unusually tame. 

 One morning they found themselves in 

 a wire pen, and when I looked in at 

 noon and expressed my satisfaction at 

 seeing them out of the garden, the 

 gray hen squatted down much like an 

 old chick and with motion of the head 

 and beak and considerable clucking 

 seemed to say, "Why don't you put 

 some straw in the nests? I want to 

 lay." I took the hint and put the straw 

 in one nest, then went to dinner. When 

 I looked in the nest a half hour later. 

 I found there a nice brown egg. I mi 



BY CHARLES NEVERS HOLMES, NEWTON, MASSA- 

 CHUSETTS. 



No more the cricket chants ! — no butterfly 

 Like winged fairy flutters gaily by, 



No fragrant flower scents the midday air. 

 A sudden blight lies lightly ev'rywhere. 



No blithesome chorus wakes at early dawn. 

 The virgin verdure fades from lea and lawn, 



And with each fickle breath of chilly breeze 



Some more sere leaves fall slowly from the 

 trees. 



Music Without Charm. 



The shopman had been using a vast 

 amount of persuasion in trying to in- 

 duce the visitor to buy the gramophone 



"Latest and most wonderful instru- 

 ment, sir," he remarked- "I've a blank 

 disc here if vou care to hear vour- 

 self." 



The visitor's eyes brightened. 



"I play the flute a little," he replied 

 producing an instrument. "If you don't 



nd— " 



The shopman did not, and the disc 

 was soon indented with something that 

 only a sleuth from Scotland Yard could 

 have recognized as "Alice Where Art 

 Thou?" 



"Is that really me?" asked the flutist 

 when his performance was repeated by 

 the instrument. 



"That's you, exactly, sir. Will you 

 bin- the gramophone, sir?" 



"No," was the reply: "I'll sell the 

 flute, though." 



