banks of the Runaway River.
"O sing! sing-away! sing-away!"
And the trill of the sweet singer had
The sound of a soul that is glad.

I hope there are plenty of the ST. NICHOLAS children who know our
wild birds well enough to see for themselves that I must have meant
the one commonly known as the "Peabody-bird," so styled because his
song seems always to be calling some human estray of that name, who
never comes.

But, indeed, I am afraid that none of us know our musical little
friends of the fields and woods as well as we should and might know
them, if we studied into the matter,--Truly yours,

LUCY LARCOM.

* * * * *

The story of Perseus, in this number, has been set in a frame of stars
by the old astronomers. In Professor Proctor's sky-map in ST. NICHOLAS
for January, 1877, you will find the constellation.

* * * * *

New York.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I find in Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" that he
speaks of a "voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms." Here are six
consonants all in a row, and I would like to know if such a word can
be correctly pronounced.

If it is pronounced "hoy-nims," and I doubt the possibility of
pronouncing it any other way, is there any need of so many
consonants?--Yours truly,

CHARLES A. REED.

The word "Houyhnhnms" is the name given by Dean Swift to an imaginary
race of horses endowed with reason. It is in two syllables, hou-yhnhnms,
and may be pronounced "hoo-inmz," with the accent on either syllable,
but the voice ought to be quavered in sounding the "n." It is likely
that Swift spelled the word so as to get a set of sounds as nearly as
possible like the gentle whinny of a horse when pleased.

* * * * *

Aintab, Northern Syria.

DEAR ST. NICHOLAS: I saw a little piece in your magazine, in the
department of "Jack-in-the-Pulpit," entitled "Persian Stoves," and I
thought you would like to know that the native people in Turkey,
right here, do just the same; and, to tell the truth, it is very
comfortable sometimes. They call it tandoor. I have a brother in
Constantinople studying, also a younger brother, and a dear little
sister named Isabelle, here. We have taken your magazine ever since
it started, and I think I at least shall n