Scarce 1853 Merril's New Illuminated Alphabet Book finely carved then release them from various

then release them from various points to chart their flights (bees fly in a straight line when returning to their hives—a bee line—thus leading the beekeeper to the bounty) though I believe this could also be used as a queen bee carrier

It measures 14 1/2" long x 11 1/2" wide x 5 3/4" tall

and it seems quite possible he and Stratton converged for the first time here

or at the corner of the desk

with a bit of green as well

Scarce 1853 Merril's New Illuminated Alphabet Book finely carved then release them from variousI sure do love alphabets, and happily they've manifested in so many excellent incarnations with unlikely survivors my favorite kind! This is an 1853 copy of Merrill's New Illuminated Alphabet Book, published by Rufus Merrill, Concord, NH, and which I think may have been the first edition, as I can find no earlier reference to it, though I have found later. Paper cover, with beautiful upper and lower case alphabets on the flip, and then each page