AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY 



Si 



To Rent. 



A suite of rooms for a family of 

 wrens. Location elevated. Large 

 spacious rooms. Building made of 

 squash, with fine balcony. En- 

 trance made proper size for wren, 

 nothing larger need apply. Beauti- 

 ful surroundings, flower garden, 

 fruit trees, etc., etc. Ready for oc- 

 cupation at once. Apply at 23 

 George St., Danbury, Conn., Ruth 

 L. Comes. 



Struggle in the Orchard. 



Imagine if you can, a battle be- 

 tween a robin and a rat. A curious 

 picture that. It happened last week 

 in the orchard just back of our 

 house. Mr. Robin was out looking 

 for some breakfast, when a large 

 rat appeared, evidently with the 

 same intentions. Neither paid any 

 heed to the other until the robin 

 found a choice bit of something 

 which the rat wanted also. I could 

 not see what it was, but it was too 

 large for Mr. Robin to carry, so he 

 tried to break off a bit. The task 

 took some time, for he was forced 

 to stop every moment and drive off 

 the rat. At last the food was brok- 

 en and the robin quickly swallowed 

 one piece and seized the other in his 

 bill. Ha! Now the fight began in 

 earnest. Mr. Rat in despair tried to 

 snatch the food from his antagonist's 

 mouth. How they did jump about. 

 The rat had hold of one end while 

 the robin bravely held on to the 

 other. It seemed as though good 

 fortune was smiling on the rat, for 



at every tug he drew the robin 

 nearer to the house, but suddenly 

 the robin seemed to gain new 

 strength, and although the rat danc- 

 ed about him tugging fiercely, he 

 stood his ground. Just then the 

 food broke and both contestants lost 

 their balanee. 1 had been craning 

 my neck farther and farther out of 

 the window during the excitement, 

 and when the catastrophe came, I 

 burst out laughing. The foes dis- 

 appeared like magic, and the field 

 where they had fought so bravely 

 was deserted. 



Mildred B. Monck, 

 Cleveland, Ohio. 



Spring Bonnets, 



As far as i can see, the continued agita- 

 tion against tlie wearing of birds as orna- 

 ments, has had little effect here in Boston. 

 Nearly half the hats seen on the street 

 have on them various parts of what once 

 were beautiful, happy birds. On some, 

 heads; some, tails; some, wings; and on 

 some the eutire bird. What heathenish 

 ideas of beauty some folks have.- Can 

 you imagine anything more ridiculous 

 than a young woman sporting an entire 

 Herring Gull on her head? I have seen 

 one such, and scores with smaller gulls 

 and terns, it seems a pity that women 

 should cling to this barbarous fashion un- 

 til actually forced to put it aside to escape 

 prosecution Perhaps they do not realize 

 what they do. 



Effie, Boston, Mass. 



