314 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



treacherous stones which roll you splash, into the water as you essay 

 to cross on them. Then within a circle of stones you build a fire of 

 charcoal, (if you can build it within the fairy's mushroom, 'twill bring 

 you good luck.) Over the glowing coals hold the milky ears of corn, 

 pierced to the heart by sharp-pointed wooden bayonet toasters. What 

 an appetizing odor! If you never cared for corn before you will enjoy 

 it now, and the striped chipmunks and chattering squirrels will enjoy 

 their share too, while the birds overhead fly back and forth, and wonder 

 what the stir in their woods is all about. 



This is what we did on one delightful August day. When the feast 

 was over we buried a bag of charcoal which had not been needed, 

 among the leaves at the base of a birch sapling, to use at some other 

 outing should it remain undisturbed. But this is not the story I start- 

 ed to tell you. What I want to tell you is of the notice which a little 

 olive green bird posted in our picnic grounds of a year ago. Jack 

 Frost visited the green wood. Winter wrapped soft white blankets about 

 it, and the earth was newly dressed in fresh green robes, ere we passed 

 that way again. We stopped at our old camp. The coal was gone. 

 But what do you suppose we found. From a slendei forked branch of 

 the tiny birch which stood guard over our buried treasure, swung the 

 deserted gray nest of a "preacher" bird— the Red-eyed Vireo, with its 

 fibers of bark, cobwebs, moss, leaves and grass, and with the usual lit- 

 erary instincts of the Vireo family, bits of newspaper were daintily 

 interwoven with the fabric of the swaying cup. However the bird had 

 not gone without leaving a message for us. On a bit of paper securely 

 fastened into the bottom of the nest was printed in large letters, 

 —"DONE IN FIRST CLASS"— and turning the nest over, this is 

 what we read upon a piece which decorated the' side — that — Harbor — 

 that on May 27th supply of coal was taken— there were about forty tons. 



NUMERICAL ENIGMA. 



Boys take a 5-2-3 and get some 7, 6, 5, 7, 6, 3, 1, from the orchard, 

 for your 4, 8, 2, 9, mother to 7, 2, 9, 8, for some 5, 6, 8, 1, then when 

 the mail 2, 7, 5, 8, 2, 9, 1, you can go down by the brook and perhaps 

 you will see a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, getting its breakfast. 



My 1st is in drowned, and also in rain. 



My 2nd is found in every green lane, 



My 3rd is in wave, but never in flag. 



My 4th is in brave, but not once in brag. 



My 5th is in snake. Now place them aright. 



These five letters spell a bird black as night. 



