'2$'2 



RECREATION, 



a large country house, where many swal- 

 lows nested in the chimney. One evening 

 when the swallows were circling around 

 and darting in and out of the chimney, one 

 struck the lightning rod. He struggled to 

 free himself and the other swallows tried 

 to help him, but in vain. The poor little 

 chap died there, and his body remained im- 

 paled on the rod. 



I am living in a busy part of Newark, and 

 this year a pair of blackbirds built their 

 nest in the overhanging eves of the house. 

 As I write this letter I hear them scrapping 

 with the sparrows for the right of way. 



I am much interested in animals. I get 

 up at 4 o'clock mornings, and take walks to 

 study animals. Last summer I went out on 

 our flat roof one morning, and on the chim- 

 ney, near the cupola, there was a bird some- 

 thing like a great sucker. It was gray, with 

 a short beak and large eyes. It seemed to 

 be dazed and allowed me to go up to it. 

 Was it a whippoorwill? 



Howard R. Snelling, Newark, N. J. 



AN EXOTIC SONGSTER. 



The European wood lark, Alanda arborea, 

 though an interesting songster is not con- 

 sidered quite equal to the skylark.. Alanda 

 arvensis, in volume of song. As its name 

 implies, the wood lark frequents the timber 

 more than does the skylark, and sings some- 

 times on the ground, sometimes in a tree. 



Owing to the liberality of a few residents 

 of Portland, Oregon, this bird was intro- 

 duced in that State in 1889, and is now 

 rapidly spreading all over the coast country. 

 I have never heard anything against him, 

 either here or in Europe. 



Counting by generations in America he 

 is an older American than are the de- 

 scendants of the Pilgrims. 



Who will earn lasting fame by intro- 

 ducing the wood lark on the table lands 

 of Mexico, from whence he would spread 

 all over Eastern North America? 



E. K. C, Kerrville, Tex. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Please tell me the name of a large bird 

 of prey that I shall try to describe. Its back 

 and wing coverts are a rich chocolate color, 

 wing linings, breast and under parts pure 

 white, head and nape of neck ashen grey. 

 It has a long tail, edged with a broad black 

 bar, as are also its wing feathers. Its eyes 

 and feet are yellow, bill and claws black. 

 It has powerful claws and feet. It meas- 

 ures about 26 inches in length and has a 

 5-foot spread of wings. It preys on rab- 

 bits, gophers, etc. It resembles the osprey 

 somewhat. 



I am familiar with most birds of prey, 

 but I never before saw anything like this 



one. I have books on birds but they give 

 no account of anything like this. 



R. G. P., Fountain, Minn. 



If the bird is not the American osprey, 

 I do not know what it is. — Editor. 



A short time ago my attention was at- 

 tracted by the discordant cries and chatter 

 of various kinds of birds in a pine thicket 

 about 100 yards from my door. Suspect- 

 ing that a hawk was disturbing the robins, 

 I took my rifle and went to investigate. 

 The mischief maker proved to be a crow 

 trying to despoil a robin's nest. A pair of 

 bee birds, a pair of blue jays and more 

 chipping birds and robins than I could 

 count had joined forces to repel the attack* 

 of their common enemy. I never before 

 suspected that birds of different species 

 resort to such a measure for mutual pres- 

 ervation. Is this the secret of their ability 

 to exist, in undiminished numbers, among 

 so many enemies? 



E. D. Ladd, Oleona, Pa. 



About a month ago I killed and have 

 mounted an entirely white English sparrow, 

 a true albino, having pink eyes. Is this not 

 a rare specimen? 



W. E. Barnard, Middletown, Del. 



It has been estimated by scientific investi- 

 gators of agricultural conditions that be- 

 cause of the increase of insect pests, the loss 

 to cultivators of the soil in North Amer- 

 ica the year before last was more than 

 $400,000,000. — Our Animal Friends. 



My Ninth Annual Photo Competition closes 

 November 30. The time is growing short in 

 which to make and enter pictures, and I 

 trust all my friends who have participated 

 in previous competitions may be represented 

 in this one. A number of valuable prizes 

 are offered, and in addition to these all 

 photos used will hereafter be paid for at 

 the rate of 50 cents to $1 each, according 

 to actual value for illustrative purposes. 



Gardener — This is a tobacco plant in full 

 flower. 



Lady — How very interesting ! How 

 long will it be before the cigars are ripe? 

 — New Yorker. 



New Arrival (to clerk) — Are there many 

 young ladies here? 



Clerk — Plenty. You'll be loved to death 

 inside of 24 hours. — Exchange. 



