AMERICAN ORXITHOLOGY. 71 



as two balls of yarn. I once saw a Yellow Warbler — by comparison a 

 mammoth — pestered by a little Hummer. It could not learn that the 

 midget was only a miniature bird, but regarded him as a creature great- 

 ly to be feared, and fled before him to the best of his clumsy ability. 

 But the agile little Hummer followed him like a shadow, and pestered 

 him exceedingly, by making feints at him or even giving playful jabs 

 with his rapier-like bill. It ended with the Warbler making a deliberate 



retreat for life thru the thick bushes and briers. 



M. R, Simonson, Wis. 



GLEANINGS. 



The Song Sparrow. 



Glimmers gay the leafless thicket 

 Close beside my garden gate, 

 Where, so light, from post to thicket, 

 Hops the sparrow, blithe, sedate, 

 Who with meekly folded wing, 

 Comes to sun himself and sing. 



It was there, perhaps, last year, 

 That his little house he built. 

 For he seems to perk and peer, 

 And to twitter too, and tilt, 

 The bare branches in between, 

 With a fond, familiar mien. 



Lathrop. 



