Don Hess, age 11, of Eugene, Ore., for his question:

DOES A HUMMER REALLY RIDE ON A GOOSE'S BACK?

Suppose someone told you that a tiny hummingbird can fly hundreds of miles nonstop over land and ocean. Most likely you wouldn't believe it. Certainly the bird watchers refused to believe it long ago, when they learned for a fact that hummers do indeed travel long distances. It seemed logical to assume that these tiny birds must have help, for example, in migrating between North and South America. Perhaps they hitchhike rides on the backs of geese or other big sturdy birds.

Nowadays we know for a fact that a tiny hummer does not need to hitch a ride from a goose or any other big bird He is a small miracle of dynamic energy, and for his size he rates as the most superior flier of the entire bird world. In short spurts, he is the speed champion and his mighty little wings beat 200 strokes per minute. He migrates with no help to and from various points between Alaska and Brazil. Come fall, he strokes up on nectar and small bugs, and then flies, also without help, 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico.