2^4 TRANSArTIOV!=^ OF THE TTJ.TXOTS 



cedar, and mountain-ash l)erries. frozen Siberian crabs, and ahiiost every- 

 thing that has anv jnilp ; in fact, feeding exactly bke the cedar-birds, 

 and resembling them in every way except iliat they are about one-third 

 larger, and arc a little more handsomely marked. Well, last winter, 

 the cedar-birds did not leave at all, but remained here during the whole 

 winter, and stranger still, the Wax-wings did not come along at all, and 

 to show that this was not local but general, I may mention that we wanted 

 a few Wax-wings to send to a friend in Cincinnati, so we sent to friend 

 Stickney at Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, asking him to shoot a few for us; he 

 sent us quite a number, and behold, they were cedar-birds. 



I willingly admit that " there are two sides to this bird question," 

 and that men who raise cherries have rights that the cherry-birds should 

 be "bound to respect." We cherry-growers are sorely troubled with 

 these birds, but my troubles are trifling when compared with those of 

 some of nvy neighbors who grow sweet cherries. No sooner has the 

 word gone forth, " The cherry-birds have come," than there is such a 

 hubbub ! Dinner bells are rung, looking-glasses hung up in the trees, 

 wardrobes are ransacked, and garments inexpressible and unmentionable 

 are brought forth, and "hung like banners from the outer" limbs, and, 

 "the cry is, still they come! " (Shakespeare). 



Sitting, drowsing in my rustic chair, under my favorite elm, watch- 

 ing these birds, my mind runs dreamily on Shakespeare, and I fancy I 

 can see a similarity between Hamlet and that old cherry-bird, sitting on 

 the upper limb, and watching my neighbor's sweet cherries. He shows 

 the same indecisive and vacillating traits of character ; he raises his 

 wings, intent on flying over, and then settles back again; he flies a few 

 feet, describes a semi-circle, and falls back on his old position, and all 

 this time he keeps up a continual chattering to himself, and I imagine 

 him soliloquizing thus : " To be, or not to be } That is the question. 

 Whether it is better to remain here and eat the sour Richmonds, and 

 endure the stomach aches, and the gripings, and the thousand ills that a 

 disordered stomach is heir to, or to take wings, and fly to that sweet- 

 cherry tree; and, while eating, die there.' Who would eat the slugs, the 

 worms, the codling moths, but for the hope of something after this, 

 worth eating? Who would dodge the sticks and stones that are thrown, 

 and the slings and arrows of outrageous urchins, when he liimself might 

 his quietus take from yonder shot-gun ? " The report, of my neighbor's 

 shot-gun awoke me from my reverie, and brought me back to the posi- 

 tion from which I started, namely, that " there are two sides to this bird 

 question." Robert Douglas. 



Waukegan, III. 



HORTICULTURE IN THE INDUSTRIAL UNIVERSITY. 



O. B. Galusha, 



Secretary State Society, — Dear Sir : 



The reports from the horticultural department of the University, 

 which you have selected for publicaton, will give some idea of the work 



