AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 127 



BLUEBIRDS AND SWALLOWS, 



Last summer I made two bird houses, one double and one single, 

 and a friend of mine made one double one. A pair of Bluebirds, after 

 investigating them all, built in one side of my double one. Later a 

 pair of Tree Swallows came and tried to investigate my houses, but 

 the Bluebirds would not allow them, or any other birds to even perch 

 on either house. Afterwards they built in my friend's house. 



After the young Swallows in my friend's house had been hatched 

 about a week, a pair of Bluebirds decided to build there. They would 

 go and perch on the bird-house and the Swallows would drive them 

 away, but they would come right back again. 



They had a hard battle for more than an honr, until finally the side 

 in which the Bluebirds wanted to build had to be stopped up before the 

 Swallows could feed the young birds. 



The tree Swallows and Bluebirds are the only birds that we have 

 which build in bird-houses. Wrens I never saw but once here, and 

 Purple Martins and English Sparrows are wholly unknown, I am glad 

 though that we do not have English Sparrows. 



The holes in the bird-houses should be round and two or more inches 

 from the bottom. For Swallows, the holes ought to be a little larger 

 than for Bluebirds- 



Paul P. Jones. (Age 13,) 



Windham, Vt. 



GLEANINGS. 



"The birds made melody on branch, and melody in mid-air. The 

 damp hill-slopes were quickened into green, and the live green had 

 kindled into flowers." 



What tidings hath the Swallow heard, 

 That bids her leave the lands of summer 

 For woods and fields where April yields 

 Bleak welcome for the blithe new-comer. 



Bourdillon. 



NUMERICAL ENIGMA. 



I am composed of fifteen letters. My 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, is the 

 name of a city. My 1, 9, 15, is an insect. My 7, 8, 9, is a mineral. 

 My 4, 15, 2, is something to drink. My 6, 7, 8, 9, is what young birds 

 call for. My 1, 2, 3, 14, is a game boys like to play. My 1, 2, 4, as- 



