AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. i93 



a large bird went whirring up in front of me. She rose straight for 

 about twenty feet and then flew off for the creek. Four little downy 

 birds resembling chickens, but smaller, were making for a neighboring 

 hedge. I picked up one who was amongst the leaders and examined 

 him. He was covered with greyish down and had three black stripes 

 extending from the bill to the lower part of the back, or to where the 

 tail ought to have been. The eyes were far back in the head and were 

 yellow with a black iris. The legs were greyish. I wanted to take it 

 home but it cried so sadly and pitifully that I put it down and continued 

 on my way. Chas. P. Alexander, Gloversville, N. Y. 



Today I saw a Brown Creeper, only about three feet above my head, 

 take a dark red caterpillar about an inch and a quarter long, and, while 

 clinging head down, hammer it against the trunk of a tree a number of 

 times, and afterward swallow it. Chas. H. Rogers, New York city. 



I hung out a strawberry basket, suspended by twine from a branch 

 like a hanging pot, and then I climed up and put in a piece of suet, 

 some bread crumbs and a little tin full of water. I have seen Chicka- 

 dees, Bluebirds and Woodpeckers at it. 



Stafford Francis, Exeter, N. H. 



The little Marsh Wren might be called a sentinel for the larger birds 

 of the swamp. When going around the swamps in my boat if I should 

 row too near the reeds where there was a larger bird that might not 

 see me, the wren would give a sharp little note, and then the other 

 bird would fly away. I also noticed that some of the wrens would 

 build their nests with two doors, because when I stuck my finger in. 

 one hole they would fly out of the other, and give me the slip. 



LoTHROP Lee Brown, Evanston, Ills. 



AN ENIGMA. 



The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 is an inhabitant of 

 our woods even in the cold winter. One may often 10, 3, 15, him 11,, 

 13, 1, 13 in a 5, 12, 3, 15, looking for his 10, 11, 9 prey, which he will 

 5, 2, 9 to 10, 5, 2, 13, 14, 15 with his bill. Sometimes out of 10, 13, 6, 

 11, 5 he sings a 1, 4, 9, song, 5, 8, 14, 3, 10 a sudden flight and 10, 13,. 

 5, 10 his victim which is sometimes as large an animal as 7, 3, 5. 



Hatta Washburn, Goodwin, S. D. 



There are two birds which stay with us through the year, whose 

 names together contain 30 letters. The first name from (1 to 21.) 

 The first bird resembles 6, 3, 7, 13 of another and lower order, in that 

 he climbs 4, 7, 8, 5, 10. No other 6, 3, 7, 13 has his 2, 9, 6, 24, 19 of 

 going down trees 2, 31, 27, 28 first 2, 29 does not 15, 10, 29, his tail to 



