BY THE WAY BIDE 
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SCHOOL BRANCH DEPARTMENT 
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ery Wisconsin School Branch is required to subscribe for at least one copy of BY THE WAYSIDE 
Letters to this department should be 
*itten on only one side of the page, should 
re name, age and address of the writer and 
ould be mailed by the first of the month; Illi- 
is writers sending to Miss Mary A. Hard- 
an, Academy of Sciences, Chicago, Ill., and 
isconsin writers to Mr. Roland E. Kremers, 
idison, Wis. To each writer whose letter 
published will be sent an illustrated leaf- 
: on some bird. For the best letter each 
onth we will send a second leaflet. Pre- 
‘ence will be given to letters about the 
rd study for the month and to original 
servations. 
Any Wisconsin society may, by paying 
e express, have the use of the Gordon and 
Trill Libraries of bird books by applying 
Mr. Kremers. 
Wisconsin parties should apply to the 
liversity Extension Division, Madison, for 
lored bird slides. Illinois Schools may use, 
thout expense, a library or a lecture with 
item slides, by applying to Miss Bunnel, 
:ademy of Sciences, Chicago. 
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THE BIRD OF THE MONTH 
The Crossbill 
Surely one of the most interesting 
structures about any bird is its bill. 
Ha ving no teeth, but covered with a 
horny sheath it is still itn every case 
beautifully adopted to handle the food, 
the bird delights in. In ducks it forms 
a splendid sieve to strain out the edi¬ 
ble material from a mouthful of mud— 
except in the so-called, fish-ducks 
where it is quite changed in appear¬ 
ance, and made to hold the slippery 
fish. In hawks it is hooked to tear 
the flesh from rabbit or mouse. The 
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