AMEUWAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



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Address communications for this department to 



Meg Merrythought, 156 Waterville Street, 

 Waterbury, Ct. 



Dear Young Folks: 



Not long ago I heard some one say: "I don't think much of this 

 Nature Study among the children, especially the study of birds." What 

 reason do you suppose was given for such a strange remark? 

 It was this. The children disturb and frighten the nesting birds by 

 constant visits, and even molest the nests in their eagerness to learn 

 all about bird life. Perhaps there is a grain of truth in this statement. 

 I am sure the many boys and girls who share this corner will think 

 about this, and do all they can to protect the birds in their natural 

 rights. 



There is another thing about which bird students are sometimes 

 thoughtless, and I call upon our girls — whether members of Audubon 

 Societies or not — to help public sentiment in this respect. If you are 

 really fond of these "little brothers of the air" would you enjoy wear- 

 ing their dead bodies upon your hats? Even if the ornament (?) is 

 made of dyed chicken feathers, the principle is the same. I met a 

 lady on the street not long ago whose hat was simply trimmed with a 

 circle of tiny dead birds perched all around the broad brim. I wonder 

 if she was a "fair barbarian." If each one of our readers would use 

 his influence in these two respects, I think the bird world at least, 

 would be the happier. 



I am making many demands upon you this month, for I have one 

 more request to make. When you speak of the birds, give them their 

 right names; for instance, what confusion would be saved if we stopped 

 calling the brown thrasher, "the brown thrush." There are several 

 thrushes, all brown, and this thrasher is not a thrush at all, but belongs 

 to the same family as the catbird and mocking bird. 



I will not keep you longer from the world out of doors on this 

 glorious June day. Goodbye until the month when the bird of free- 

 dom soars. Cordially your friend, 



Meg Merrythought. 



