AMERICAN ORNITHOLOG\. 



Ill 



Address communications for thiis department to 



Meg Merrythought, 60x772, Waterbury, Ct. 



My Dear Young Folks: 



With this number closes the first year of our bird chats. How do 

 you like our corner, and what part do you like the best? Write and 

 tell me, and also tell me what you would like added to the department. 



We have enjoyed the letters from the young folks which Uncle Sam 

 has brought from all over the country; from New York, Pennsylvania,. 

 Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, Dakota, Califor- 

 nia, and even Texas, as well as from all the New England States- 

 First comes one of our boys from Massachusetts, with his list of 93 

 birds seen this year; then a Missouri lad goes to the head with his list 

 of 110; and now a New York reader exceeds even this, with a list of 

 114; we give you his letter on another page. 



I wish you could have seen an Indigo bunting and his wife getting 

 their daily rations in our garden last fall. They were very fond of 

 some stray heads of Hungarian grass, but the slender stalks would not 

 bear the weight of even this tiny bird. How do you think he managed 

 to get his dinner? Standing on the wire fence he pulled the seed- 

 spikes towards him with his bill, held it there with his foot, and cracked 

 seed at his leisure. Do not forget as you gather around your Christ- 

 mas trees at the happy holiday time, that you have some little feath- 

 ered friends outside, who will appreciate decorated trees as well as you. 

 not however with candles and bright tinsel (though I doubt not they 

 would enjoy pop-corn festoons,) but with berries, bits of suet, and nuts. 



We hope to meet every one of you in our corner of the magazine dur- 

 ing the months of 1903, with many new friends. 

 , May Christmas be a very merry one to you all is the wish of 



Meg Merrythought. 



