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4 THE JOURNAL JUNIOR, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1902. V/>e JOURNAL JUNIOR.. M a e H a r r i s Ansonc Editor The Junior is published by the Minneapolis Journal for the publte •chool children of the Northwest, in and above the fifth grade, and la devoted principally to their own writings. There is no expense attached and all are welcomed as competitors. 1 he editor wishes to encourage cor- respondence and suggestions from teachers. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor Journal Junior. &/ye Advertising Department. •"TO-DAY the Juniors are given an opportunity to sho'w what *• they can do as designers. This does not necessarily mean Wt contestants must be able to draw perfectly. The editor 'has seen advertisements written by children, which are good as advertisements, though indifferent as drawings. The first thought of the judge will be, "Will it catch the •ye?" This an advertisement may do without being perfect in drawing. It need not have any drawing at all, for that matter, If it can be made effective without it. This "strikingness" is the one thing that must be kept in view. It may be accom- plished either by the drawing itself, by some catch phrase, by the arrangement of the words, or by any other clever, original device, which the editor cannot suggest, for not being a mind- reader, she cannot tell what you may be able to think of. The editor has wanted something all along to interest the Junior artists, but no plan was satisfactory until this advertis- ing department came to mind. It need hardly be added that the editor confidently expects the Juniors to do some good work as writers of these advertisements. All designs should be sent direct to the editor of the Journal Junior. THE NEW ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT An Opportunity for Original WorK Along Novel Lines—A Personal Prize Offered Each WeeR-B»e First Offer—WHat the Plan Is. Bird Restaurants. O PRING seems to have "came." That is, it seems that "way to any one who has not lived in Minnesota for years and learned to know the trickery of its cli nate now and then. A nipping time is coming, and if any ambitious buds show a tend- ency to break out into the great world, they are likely to meet with a cold reception. Still, this weather makes one think of summer and green tilings, flowers and birds. And birds remind the editor_especially of something that the women of Kenosha, Wis., have done in the hope of attracting the song birds. They have started bird restaurants. That sounds funny, but it is a practical idea and undoubtedly will be approved of by the most aristocratic mem- bers of birddom, when once they receive notice of it. The restaurants are not in houses, of course, for birds would not understand that. They are merely a cup of water and tray for seeds, cuttlebone, and other bird dainties, set out on the lawns, upon posts. The cup is to be filled each day with fresh water and the tray kept supplied with food. It is a pretty idea, and one the editor would like to see taken up by the Juniors. If there is no lawn, there is at least some window on the least public side of the house where something of the kind might be done. If there is the tiniest patch of land, a bird restaurant might be set up and the really ingenius Junior would see that the post was an ornamental one. The plan worked well in Kenosha last year, and the women who started it expect better results this year. They even go so far as to expect that songbirds will be attracted to Kenosha from all around, for in addition to the bird restaurants, they also place moss and other materials for nests where the birds can find it easily; so with house building materials so close at hand and the question of meals settled, a regular bird city ought to be established. Freight boats have been growing larger and larger the past Hew years and people have been wondering how big they really eoold be made. However, when the isthmian canal is really a settled fact, and the size of the locks is known, that will mean the limit to the size of freighters. No shipper would be apt to patronize a line whose boats could not go through the locks and so save htm time and expense. Moreover, the canal means the decline of the sailing vessels which have become popular with merchants whose wares were not perishable, and who pre- ferred Hie cheaper rates offered by the slower going vessels. "Biere is a region of calms the other side of the isthmus, which dependence upon sails impossible. Speaking of the "teacher's dilemma" topic that we had a short time since,—perhaps there would be no similar dilemmas for long suffering teachers in real life if they followed the ex- ample set by the principal of schools at Manchester, Conn. His pupils played "hookey" at recess to follow a procession. When they came back, he treated the forty-nine with a length of gar- den hose, and in just thirty-seven minutes forty-nine sobbing, bat good, children went back to their seats. This professor is •aid now to hold the championship of the world for spanking. Sot probably the why is not a matter of pride to his pupils. With all the things that she may have because she is the toufctiter of the president, it seems rather amusing that because ef that same fact Miss Roosevelt may not go to the coronation 4K Kiss Edward. American women rather enjoy being called hot tills is a case where American royalty is A draw- Instead of a pretty compliment The average collector of a menagerie has a very hard time to. CBt his animals together, but evidently the fame of the Vhfte House collection has gone abroad is the animal world, night a "possum was caught trying to break into of the White House. It insisted upon staying too, and had to he dragged away by main force. The "Cofateno" company wants the Juniors tb write or de- sign an advertisement of "Cofateno," the cereal substitute for coffee. - ' They will pay $ each for the advertisements which they consider best. The advertisements will be printed in The Journal Junior with full credit to the writers or designers. . / J CONDITION^ OP THE CONTEST. , ? AH contestants must buy a package of "Cofateno." The money/ will be refunded if the cover of the package is re- turned to the "Cofateno Company," Minneapolis, 'Minn,, on or before March 27. "^ All picture designs must be in black and white only, apd India ink or dead black ink must be used; avoid blue-black or greenish ink. _ Drawings, suggestions, photographs, poems, puzzles, etc, anything, in fact, which will attract and hold attention, may be introduced into the advertisement. The contest is open to any child in or above the fifth grade. All advertisements must be in the hands of the editor of the Journal Junior NOT LATER THAN THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 27, at 5 o'clock. Those received later will not be considered in the contest. In writing these advertisements, try to be strictly original in all of your ideas. It is only in this way that you can expect to do work worth while. That is why the opportunity is given you. The Cofateno company wants something new. It does not want a rehash of old ideas. Be careful not to shade line drawings too heavily. This is one great fault with amateur artists. Make your drawings clean cut whether line or wash. Mussy pictures will not repro- duce well in The Journal Junior and this point must be taken into very serious consideration. The two points to be considered, then, in the advertisements in which pictures form a part, are that they should first be striking and original, and appropriately set forth the article advertised; and second, the pictures must be drawn with little shading and the work must be neat. r • -^ Lights and Shadows in tKe World of Animals, Insects and Feathered Things. By James Speed. Copyright, 1901, fry Hughes 4> Ocf*l«y, Louisoille. ©3*e L o g g e r h e a d SnriKe. HEN one writes or speaks of song birds, he is generally understood to mean a bird which really sings, such as our thrushes and mocking birda Ornithologically, song bird is used to designate a large group which has a peculiar set of muscles. These muscles control and operate the lower throat and make possible song, although many birds that do not sing possess these muscles. But it is a noticeable fact that the birds which have this development and do not sing have a large and varied vocabulary. Crows and jays, for instance, have no song, yet their conversational powers are great. As I write of the conversational powers of birds, I fancy I can see the reader smiling. But I am in earnest. To know birds, one must associate with them and watch them, not for a day or a week, but for a season or seasons. And their differences at the various seasons must be observed to be thoroughly appre- Xk hi even a common thing for us to know that our locomo- • MBA machinery of every description are known the world hvt When it cornea to having Yankee pine for the staff upon fee British flag is flown over Windsor Castle, it sounds a fairy tale. Bat it Is a tale that is true, nevertheless. THB LOGGERHEAD SBRTKW. elated- No one who has watched a jaybird (hiring the early epring months, when his head is full of love making, ean help feeling how thoroughly human he is. His splendid blue coat seems to have turned his head; for often, Without the presence of his ladylove to inspire him, he will preen his feathers and chatter pleasantly to himself, rehearsing his lovemaking. Persons who have taken my advice and tried to hear some- thing t of bird language have invariably come to me and said: "But when I listen to the birds, it simply sounds like chattering." And then I have to explain to them that they must not ex- pect to train their ears in the course of a single epring after- noon under the trees. lake every other bit of sense training, it requires time and constant practice to obtain the slight differ- ences which evidently mean so much to our feathered friends. Even after years of listening to birds' notes and calls, one constantly finds new phases of bird language. Sometimes in the woods I am completely puzzled for days at a time in trying to place a new caliper whistle. The bird whose photograph appears to-day is something of an anomaly. The shrike is a songbird, belonging to the gfiettt oscine family, and yet it is more bloodthirsty than most of onr true birds of prey. To watch this handsome gray and Mack bird as it sits quietly on some high point of vantage, so one would ever suspect that he was waiting for prey. Suddenly he launches into a weak, soft song which ts quite pleasing. I have frequently heard this song late in winter when most of the songsters were silent, waiting for the grand spring awakening. I have never heard the shrike sing during the summer months, but it may be because its weak song would not be noticed in the grand chorus which swells all feathered throats at that season. These birds live exclusively upon insects and the smaller birdg and quadrupeds. The name "butcher bird," which is com- monly used for this shrike, is very appropriate, as it has a curious habit of impaling its prey upon thorns. This habit is ex- hibited by both of the shrikes which are found in this country. The shrike whose photograph is here reproduced is found over the southern part of the United States, while in the north it is replaced by the great northern shrike. Although I have known the bird for a good many years, I have never yet been able to find its nest. But that is not so strange when it is known that I hunted for a long, long time before I found the nest of our common, tufted titmouse. Scores of birds which are noisy and conspicuous during the greater part of the year, become very quiet and retiring during the nestinf season, and the shrike may be one of these. Although the loggerhead shrike sings, and in appearance somewhat resembles a great many of the innocent birds, he does not fool the small feathered folks. They have all of them, from sad experience, learned what to expect from this enemy; and they no sooner sight him than, with cries of alarm, they hurry to the nearest cover. As they fly in every direction, one cannot but remark how similarly all animals show their alarm. When a dog is thoroughly frightened, his eyes grow large and round and the hair along his back rises. A man shows fear or alarm by the expression of his eyes and up and down' his back is a peculiar sensation. Birds when frightened suddenly erect their feathers and their large liquid eyes show terror. After once having seen this strong, handsome bird, it is easy to recognize it again, as it resembles only one other bird which is found here—the mocking bird. The resemblance is not great when the birds are perching but it is quite noticeable when they are on the wing. While flying, both birds show conspicuous white wing spots. But the shrike is much stockier and heavier than the mocking bird and his tail is much shorter. This "butcher bird" is rather small considering his bloody record, being only eight to eight and a half inches long. The upper surfaces are generally a clean slate color; below, the bird is white, with often a wash of ash. There Is white on each of the black wings and some on the black tail. _ How t o S t u d y Nature. T HE energetic person who expects to make nature study a taA of a few weeks or months is certain to be disappointed. Na- ture is an open book which all may read, but like a little child each person must of necessity learn the alphabet. Then must follow slow lessons in putting letters together into short words. And then single sentences ean be built up. At first the lessons are to some extent irksome, but as the student gradually be- gins to spell out the great truths of the universe and read the unity of all life, the task becomes a pleasure. Another thing which usually makes the impetuous person lose heart in this fascinating study is that he fails to, see »^"'^i and birds properly when he goes out. It is simply because of his desire to cover a great amount of territory. The one great secret for the student is that he remains quiet, lite lesson is one which has been learned by watching the denizens of the forest and open. They all know that to remain perfectly still means to remain practically unseen. Even a bird of very gaudy plu- mage will be passed unnoticed if it keeps still. An inconspicu- ous bird moving about will invariably attract attention beta** a conspicuous one at rest. Numerous animals and birds seem to disappear absolutely from view when they become motionless. This instinct is~stSB noticeable in some of our common domesticated animals, espe- cially among hogs. When an old sow sad her pigs are suddenly frightened while feeding in the high grass, a startled grunt from the mother will cause every little phi to drop flat. Lyme doss on their stomachs, the only motion to be seen Is the rolling of their small eyes as they strive to see what has alarmed then* parent. So the main point of nature study is not to tramp, hot to stt and allow nature to come to you. Then wnat is seen wQl be observed just as a appears every day tafts orfttuary lOa, and ean be more trtfy tnterptetenV
