^ inches long, while the latter is 5^, a great difference in birds of so
small a size. The differences in the other parts are proportional. The
grey of the back is purer in the smaller species, and the white of the
neck more so in the larger, in which also the white edgings of the wings
are very conspicuous.
The Supple Jack.
The Supple Jack is a species of Smilax extremely abundant in all the swampy portions of the Southern States. Its slender stem entwines the trunk and branches of even the tallest trees, and, with its delicate branches, is extremely tough and pliant, one of half an inch in diameter being strong enough to suspend a body having a weight of several hundred pounds. It is frequently used instead of a cord to hang clothes upon to dry. The festoons which it forms are graceful and pleasing to the eye.