AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



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Address communications for this department to 



Meg Merrythought, 80x772, Waterbury, Ct. 



My Dear Young Folks: 



My Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been singing a soft sweet song all 

 the morning, and I think is trying to give me a message to you, so I 

 have translated the bird notes as best I could, into English, and asked 

 Mr. Reed to print them. I can assure you that her tale is strictly true 

 for Peggy at this moment is sitting on my shoulder, pulling my ear, 

 none too gentle, to demand attention, and occasionally hopping down 

 on to the desk and seizing the pen with her bill, or trying to pull away 

 the paper on which I am writing. She would like to sample the ink, 

 and pecks at my hand when I drive her away. In spite of many lovable 

 qualities, I must admit she is a saucy bird. I should like to make a list 

 of your favorite birds for the June Ornithology. Will the boys and 

 girls write me which bird they like best, giving the reason for their 

 choice. Perhaps we shall find room to print one or two of the best let- 

 ters. Please send your votes before May first. 



Cordially yours, 



Meg Merrythought. 



A MESSAGE FROM PEGGY. 



My name is Peggoty Zamelodia Ludoviciana, and my home is a cage 

 in a sunny window of Meg Merrythought's dining room. Every day I 

 have a grand splash in a large dish upon the floor. I go in and out two 

 or three times, and take a good ducking, flirting the water over my 

 back, and over everything else for several feet. After this it takes a 

 long time to comb every feather with my bill. I have two new gowns 

 each year, one in the fall, the other I am putting on now, and so shall 

 have a new smooth coat before Eastertime, though the color and trim- 

 mings will be exactly like my old one. Each day the old feathers are 

 dropping out, and each day the tiny new pinfeathers grow a little longer. 

 My only bright color is beneath my wing, a little yellow. My coat is a 



