Some footnotes are indestructible--at least, one of ours seems to be. It was dropped from a sober Science story about the bristle-thighed curlew in TIME's June 28, 1948 issue, and it read:

Not to be confused with the tufted dowager, red-eyed crosspatch, all-night thrasher, ruffled spouse, great stench, lesser stench, or double-breasted seersucker.

Ever since this footnote appeared the mail has been bringing us your suggestions for miscalling our feathered friends. In fact, it has become a kind of TIME readers' parlor game. In self defense, we have now told the story of the durable footnote in a booklet illustrated by Richard Erdoes, the Publisher's Letter artist. Here is its cast of characters:

THE RUFFLED SPOUSE

THE GREAT BALD EGO

THE EXTRA-MARITAL LARK (male & female)

THE STATE-SUPPORTED NUTHATCH

THE BUFF-TINTED DUEBILL

THE ELECTRIC CRANE

THE NO LEFT TERN

THE VESTED INTEREST

THE RED-EYED CROSSPATCH

THE DUCK-BILLED PLATITUDE

THE CHICKEN-HEARTED FARTHINGALE & MATE

THE TUFTED DOWAGER

THE LANDED GENTRY

Cordially Yours

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.