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AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY 



Address communications for this department to 



Meg Merrythought, Box 772. Waterbury, Ct. 



Dear Boys and Girls: 



Now School is out and the long vacation begun; those of you who 

 are so fortunate as to spend it in green country fields, on mountain 

 slopes, or by the great waters, will no doubt have a jolly time getting 

 better acquainted with Dame Nature, who "with a smile on her face, 

 and a sprig in her cap calls you to feast from her bountiful lap." And 

 what a feast she sets before us, a menu of many courses, from birds, 

 trees, flowers, ferns, and insects, to frogs, lizards, and snakes; each one 

 can find something to suit his taste. There will be some rainy days so 

 the pages of the American Ornithology will not remain uncut, and 

 we hope you will write to us of your good times with your neighbors 

 in feathers. 



We print part of a letter from one of our readers in New Hampshire, 

 who evidently makes good use of his eyes and ears. We also give you 

 another numerical enigma sent by a friend over the Canada line. 



You will notice that we have added a Roll of Honor, where there will 

 appear each month the names of the boys and girls who send correct 

 answers to the puzzles and questions. Now we must say good bye for 

 another month. Meg Merrythought. 



Exeter, N. H., May 2, 1902. 

 Dear Meg Merrythought: 



I got my May number of the A. O. this afternoon, I think it is a good 

 paper and the pictures are fine. Enclosed please find answer to the 

 numerical enigma. I think it was quite a hard one, it took me an hour 

 to get it out. I could get what the beggars wore, but the rest of it I 

 couldn't make out. So I tried to find a common bird with eleven let- 

 ters in its name, after awhile I got Song Sparrow. This is a very 

 early year for birds, I have seen quiie a number of them. I saw a 



