AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



333 



111 CHATS* 1 " 



HSMH 



mm I ill is 



Address communications for this department to* 



Meg Merrythought, 156 Waterville Street, 

 Waterbury, Ct. 



My Dear Young Folks: 



It was hard to select from the many excellent reasons which you sent 

 why we should care for the birds, but I know that many of the little 

 sprites are enjoying the food which your thoughtfulness has provided. 

 for them these sharp mornings. I wish you might have been with me 

 and seen a game which was played, early in October, in a large field 

 filled with mullen stalks. 



The game was not football, nor was it baseball but resembled the 

 old game you sometimes play, — "Pussy wants a corner," only there 

 were hundreds of "corners" instead of four, and the corners were the 

 clusters of end pods upon waving spires of mullien. It might have 

 been called a "Yale Field," for the Yale colors were floating every- 

 where. Bluebirds by the hundreds were darting about from stalk to 

 stalk exchanging places exactly as you run from corner to corner in?, 

 your games. They seemed to be having such a good time, and my/ 

 friend and I watched the charming sight for half an hour, then were 

 obliged to leave with the game still in progress. Some other Blue- 

 birds were poised upon the weathervane upon the top of the barn, the 

 other day — one upon the head of the gilt horse, one upon the tail, and 

 two others upon each end of the vane at right angles. These birds 

 also exchanged places, murmuring all the while a sweet song. Do 

 you suppose that birds really play games and enjoy them as you do? 

 Probably you have all seen crows and other birds which surely seem to 

 be having sport. 



With this number are carried our wishes for a very Merry Christmas 

 to our lads and lasses scattered throughout our country from ocean to 

 ocean. 



Cordially your friend 



Meg Merrythought- 



