Robert Williams Wood

“ If you will tap the Cantelope, reposing on the ground,
It does not move, but just emits a melon-choly sound;
But should you try, however, to apply a stethoscope,
And attempt this auscultation on the antlered Antelope,
And should see an imitation of a very rapid flight,
And should say, "It is the Antelope!" I think you would be right.
The P-Cock. The Q-Cumber.
The striking similarity of this P-Q-liar pair,
No longer need en-cumber us or fill us with despair;
The P-Cock and the Q-Cumber you never need confuse. ”

“ Exist in only two dimensions,
A life restricted to a plane,
On rocks and stones a greenish stain,
They live upon the simplest fare,
A drop of dew, a breath of air.
Contrast them with the greedy Hen,
And her most careless regimen,
She shuns the barren stones and rocks,
And thrives upon the garbage box.
[pg 5]
The Pelican. The Panicle.
The Panicle and Pelican have often been confused,
The letters which spell Pelican, in Panicle are used.
If you recognize this Anagram you'll never go astray,
Or make the careless blunder that was made by Mr. Gray.
[pg 6]
The Pea. ”

“ Of the fall of the Sparrow we often have heard,
And I've here represented the fall of the bird:
In the case of Asparagus though, I may mention,
A fall such as this, is quite out of the question:
For observe that Asparagus, fat and well fed,
Spends all of his time in the 'sparagus bed.
[pg 18]
The Blue Mountain Lory. The Blue Morning Glory.
The Insects, to avoid surprise
By Birds, sometimes themselves disguise
As leaves and twigs, and thus escape
The appetizing Insect's fate. ”

“ With total strangers in Noah's Ark,
And we rejoice because her pride
Our Nature book has simplified.
The Ray. The Raven.
The Raven is a kind of crow,
Immortalized by Mr. Poe,
And we are often led astray
By its resemblance to the Ray ”