,transcriber's ,note3 ,title added4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,birds ,,illustrated ,,by ,,color ,,photography ,vol4 ,one ,,march1 #ahig ,no4 #c 99 99 99 99 99 ,,from3 ,,the ,,president ,,of ,,the ,,national ,,teachers' ,,association4 ,,state ,,of ,,new ,,york ,department of ,public ,instruction ,,superintendent',s ,,office ,albany ,december #bf1 #ahif4 ,illustration3 7seal7 ,stenographic ,letter ,dictated by ,w4 ,e4 ,watt1 ,president c41 ,fisher ,building1 #bgg ,dearborn ,st41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,my dear ,sir3 ,please accept my thanks for a copy of the first publication of ,birds4 ,please enter my name as a regular subscriber4 ,it is one of the most beautiful and interesting publications yet attempted in this direction4 ,it has other attractions in addition to its beauty1 and it must win its way to popular favor4 ,wishing the handsome little magazine abundant prosperity1 ,i remain ,yours very respectfully1 signature ,state ,superintendent4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,,king can do no wrong ,illustration ,,monarch ,,bicycles ,,are ,,faultless ,,monarch ,,cycle ,,mf',g ,,co4 ,,chicago1 ,,new ,,york1 ,,london4 ,please mention ,,birds when you write to advertisers4 ---------------------------- ,a4 ,,reed ,,sons ,,pianos4 ---------------------------- ,manufactured under patents granted by the governments of the ,united ,states1 ,england1 ,germany1 ,france and ,canada4 ,a ,new and ,scientific ,method of ,piano ,construction ,,free ,,sounding ,,board1 ,,vibration ,,bar1 ,,strings ,,resting ,,on ,,aluminum ,,wheels1 ,,anti-,,moisture ,,pin ,,block1 ,,lateral ,,pedals ,grand ,diploma and ,medal of ,honor ,awarded at ,columbian ,world's ,exposition1 #ahic ,only ,american ,piano receiving mention in the ,official ,report to the ,german ,government ,a4 ,,reed ,,sons ,no4 #e ,adams ,street 444 ,,chicago ,illustrated ,catalogues 444 containing full explanation ,mailed ,free4 ,please mention ,,birds when you write to advertisers4 ,every ,teacher finds daily in her work some new and perplexing problem to solve4 ,with ,the ,teacher's ,practical ,library at hand for consultation the answer may always be found4 ,it will cost you nothing to have this library placed upon your table for inspection4 ,send postal-card for particulars1 mentioning this paper4 ,,agents ,,wanted ,d4 ,,appleton ,,co41 ,publishers ,,new ,,york--,,chicago4 ,,chicago ,,office--#bdc ,wabash ,ave4 ,,prepare ,,for ,a ,,good ,,position ,by studying ,architecture1 ,engineering1 ,electricity1 ,drafting1 ,mathematics1 ,shorthand1 ,typewriting1 ,english1 ,penmanship1 ,bookkeeping1 ,business1 ,telegraphy1 ,plumbing4 ,best teachers4 ,thorough individual instruction4 ,rates lower than any other school4 ,instruction also by mail in any desired study4 ,steam engineering a specialty4 ,call or address1 ,,institute ,,of ,,technology1 #aea ,throop ,st41 ,chicago4 ,what would ,george ,washington think of ,mark ,hanna8 ,illustration ,if you want to know1 read ,,spirits ,,of '#gf1 ,by ,,frederick ,,upham ,,adams1 in last number of ,new ,occasions ,a magazine of ,reform2 #if pages2 #a4jj a year2 #aj cents a copy4 ,no free samples1 but to any one sending us #f #b-;cent stamps we will mail a sample copy with several reform books2 over #cjj pages in all4 ,agents wanted4 ,charles ,h4 ,kerr ,company1 ,publishers1 #ef ,fifth ,ave41 ,chicago4 ,buy ,only the ,best ,presents for ,children4 ,,the ,,finest ,,blackboard ,,made4 ,,improved ,illustration ,indispensable as an element for the general education of the children4 ,this is not a toy1 but an ,educator for the home4 ,contains ,sixteen ,lessons on heavy cardboard1 ,writing1 ,drawing1 ,marking-letters1 ,music1 ,animal ,forms1 etc4 ,frame made of oak1 #d feet high and #b feet wide4 ,the ,board is reversible and can be used on both sides4 ,has a desk attachment for writing4 ,weighs #aj pounds1 packed for shipment4 ,price #c4ej ,agents ,wanted4 ,send for ,agents ,prices4 ,,the ,,van-,,benson ,,company1 #hd ,adams ,street1 ,,chicago1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,the ,,old ,reliable ,house of ,,andrews ,,furnishes ,everything for ,schools ,rugby ,school ,desks1 ,teachers' ,desks and ,chairs1 ,blackboards1 ,erasers1 ,dustless ,crayons1 ,globes1 ,maps1 ,charts1 ,apparatus1 etc41 etc4 ,the ,jones ,model of the ,earth shows the reliefs of the land surface and ocean bed1 #bj inches diameter4 ,used by the ,royal ,geographical ,society1 ,cornell ,university4 ,normal1 and other schools of various forms and grades4 ,the ,deep ,sea ,globe4 ,this new #ab in4 globe shows all that is seen on the common globe1 but in addition the varying depths of the ocean bed1 by color shading1 also #ejj soundings by figures4 ,the ,a4 ,h4 ,andrews ,co4 ,,chicago4 7,next ,auditorium7 #cjj ,,wabash ,,ave4 ,also ,manufactures ,office1 ,church and ,bank ,furniture4 ,please mention ,,birds when you write to ,advertisers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,little ,,boy ,,blue4 ,boys and girls1 don't you think that is a pretty name8 ,i came from the warm south1 where ,i went last winter1 to tell you that ,springtime is nearly here4 ,when ,i sing1 the buds and flowers and grass all begin to whisper to one another1 ,springtime is coming for we heard the ,bluebird say so1 and then they peep out to see the warm sunshine4 ,i perch beside them and tell them of my long journey from the south and how ,i knew just when to tell them to come out of their warm winter cradles4 ,i am of the same blue color as the violet that shows her pretty face when ,i sing1 ,summer is coming1 and ,springtime is here4 ,i do not like the cities for they are black and noisy and full of those troublesome birds called ,english ,sparrows4 ,i take my pretty mate and out in the beautiful country we find a home4 ,we build a nest of twigs1 grass and hair1 in a box that the farmer puts up for us near his barn4 ,sometimes we build in a hole in some old tree and soon there are tiny eggs in the nest4 ,i sing to my mate and to the good people who own the barn4 ,i heard the farmer say one day1 ,isn't it nice to hear the ,bluebird sing8 ,he must be very happy4 ,and ,i am1 too1 for by this time there are four or five little ones in the nest4 ,little ,bluebirds are like little boys--they are always hungry4 ,we work hard to find enough for them to eat4 ,we feed them nice fat worms and bugs1 and when their little wings are strong enough1 we teach them how to fly4 ,soon they are large enough to hunt their own food1 and can take care of themselves4 ,the summer passes1 and when we feel the breath of winter we go south again1 for we do not like the cold4 99 99 99 ,,the ,,blue ,,bird4 ,i know the song that the ,bluebird is singing ,out in the apple tree1 where he is swinging4 ,brave little fellow6 the skies may be dreary1 ,nothing cares he while his heart is so cheery4 ,hark6 how the music leaps out from his throat1 ,hark6 was there ever so merry a note8 ,listen a while1 and you'll hear what he's saying1 ,up in the apple tree swinging and swaying4 ,dear little blossoms down under the snow1 ,you must be weary of winter1 ,i know2 ,hark6 while ,i sing you a message of cheer1 ,summer is coming1 and springtime is here6 ,dear little snow-drop6 ,i pray you arise2 ,bright yellow crocus6 come open your eyes2 ,sweet little violets1 hid from the cold1 ,put on our mantles of purple and gold2 ,daffodils6 daffodils6 say1 do you hear1 ,summer is coming6 and springtime is here6 ,illustration3 ,,blue ,,bird4 ,,the ,,blue ,,bird4 ,winged lute that we call a blue bird1 ,you blend in a silver strain ,the sound of the laughing waters1 ,the patter of spring's sweet rain1 ,the voice of the wind1 the sunshine1 ,and fragrance of blossoming things1 ,ah6 you are a poem of ,april ,that ,god endowed with wings4 ,e4 ,e4 ,r4 99 99 99 ,like a bit of sky this little harbinger of spring appears1 as we see him and his mate househunting in early ,march4 ,oftentimes he makes his appearance as early as the middle of ,february1 when his attractive note is heard long before he himself is seen4 ,he is one of the last to leave us1 and although the month of ,november is usually chosen by him as the fitting time for departure to a milder clime1 his plaintive note is quite commonly heard on pleasant days throughout the winter season1 and a few of the braver and hardier ones never entirely desert us4 ,the ,robin and the ,blue ,bird are tenderly associated in the memories of most persons whose childhood was passed on a farm or in the country village4 ,before the advent of the ,english ,sparrow1 the ,blue ,bird was sure to be the first to occupy and the last to defend the little box prepared for his return1 appearing in his blue jacket somewhat in advance of the plainly habited female1 who on her arrival quite often found a habitation selected and ready for her acceptance1 should he find favor in her sight4 ,and then he becomes a most devoted husband and father1 sitting by the nest and warbling with earnest affection his exquisite tune1 and occasionally flying away in search of food for his mate and nestlings4 ,the ,blue ,bird rears two broods in the season1 and1 should the weather be mild1 even three4 ,his nest contains three eggs4 ,in the spring and summer when he is happy and gay1 his song is extremely soft and agreeable1 while it grows very mournful and plaintive as cold weather approaches4 ,he is mild of temper1 and a peaceable and harmless neighbor1 setting a fine example of amiability to his feathered friends4 ,in the early spring1 however1 he wages war against robins1 wrens1 swallows1 and other birds whose habitations are of a kind to take his fancy4 ,a celebrated naturalist says3 ,this bird seems incapable of uttering a harsh note1 or of doing a spiteful1 ill-tempered thing4 ,nearly everybody has his anecdote to tell of the ,blue ,bird's courage1 but the author of ,wake ,robin tells his exquisitely thus3 ,a few years ago ,i put up a little bird house in the back end of my garden for the accommodation of the wrens1 and every season a pair have taken up their abode there4 ,one spring a pair of ,blue ,birds looked into the tenement1 and lingered about several days1 leading me to hope that they would conclude to occupy it4 ,but they finally went away4 ,late in the season the wrens appeared1 and after a little coquetting1 were regularly installed in their old quarters1 and were as happy as only wrens can be4 ,but before their honeymoon was over1 the ,blue ,birds returned4 ,i knew something was wrong before ,i was up in the morning4 ,instead of that voluble and gushing song outside the window1 ,i heard the wrens scolding and crying out at a fearful rate1 and on going out saw the ,blue ,birds in possession of the box4 ,the poor wrens were in despair and were forced to look for other quarters4 ,,the ,,swallow4 ,come1 summer visitant1 attach ,to my reedroof thy nest of clay1 ,and let my ear thy music catch1 ,low twitting underneath the thatch1 ,at the gray dawn of day4 ,sure harbingers of spring are the ,swallows4 ,they are very common birds1 and frequent1 as a rule1 the cultivated lands in the neighborhood of water1 showing a decided preference for the habitations of man4 ,how gracefully the swallows fly6 ,see them coursing over the daisy-bespangled grass fields2 now they skim just over the blades of grass1 and then with a rapid stroke of their long wings mount into the air and come hovering above your head1 displaying their rich white and chestnut plumage to perfection4 ,now they chase each other for very joyfulness1 uttering their sharp twittering notes2 then they hover with expanded wings like miniature ,kestrels1 or dart downwards with the velocity of the sparrowhawk2 anon they flit rapidly over the neighboring pool1 occasionally dipping themselves in its calm and placid waters1 and leaving a long train of rings marking their varied course4 ,how easily they turn1 or glide over the surrounding hedges1 never resting1 never weary1 and defying the eye to trace them in the infinite turnings and twistings of their rapid shooting flight4 ,you frequently see them glide rapidly near the ground1 and then with a sidelong motion mount aloft1 to dart downwards like an animated meteor1 their plumage glowing in the light with metallic splendor1 and the row of white spots on the tail contrasting beautifully with the darker plumage4 ,the ,swallow is considered a life-paired species1 and returns to its nesting site of the previous season1 building a new nest close to the old one4 ,his nest is found in barns and outhouses1 upon the beams of wood which support the roof1 or in any place which assures protection to the young birds4 ,it is cup-shaped and artfully moulded of bits of mud4 ,grass and feathers are used for the lining4 ,the nest completed1 five or six eggs are deposited4 ,they are of a pure white color1 with deep rich brown blotches and spots1 notably at the larger end1 round which they often form a zone or belt4 ,the sitting bird is fed by her mate4 ,the young ,swallow is distinguished from the mature birds by the absence of the elongated tail feathers1 which are a mark of maturity alone4 ,his food is composed entirely of insects4 ,swallows are on the wing fully sixteen hours1 and the greater part of the time making terrible havoc amongst the millions of insects which infest the air4 ,it is said that when the ,swallow is seen flying high in the heavens1 it is a never failing indication of fine weather4 ,a pair of ,swallows on arriving at their nesting place of the preceding ,summer found their nest occupied by a ,sparrow1 who kept the poor birds at a distance by pecking at them with his strong beak whenever they attempted to dislodge him4 ,wearied and hopeless of regaining possession of their property1 they at last hit upon a plan which effectually punished the intruder4 ,one morning they appeared with a few more ,swallows--their mouths filled with a supply of tempered clay--and1 by their joint efforts in a short time actually plastered up the entrance to the hole1 thus barring the ,sparrow from the home which he had stolen from the ,swallows4 ,illustration3 ,,barn ,,swallow4 ,,the ,,brown ,,thrush4 ,however the world goes ill1 ,the ,thrushes still sing in it4 ,the ,mocking-bird of the ,north1 as the ,brown ,thrush has been called1 arrives in the ,eastern and ,middle ,states about the #ajth of ,may1 at which season he may be seen1 perched on the highest twig of a hedge1 or on the topmost branch of a tree1 singing his loud and welcome song1 that may be heard a distance of half a mile4 ,the favorite haunt of the ,brown ,thrush1 however1 is amongst the bright and glossy foliage of the evergreens4 ,there they delight to hide1 although not so shy and retiring as the ,blackbird2 there they build their nests in greatest numbers1 amongst the perennial foliage1 and there they draw at nightfall to repose in warmth and safety4 ,the ,brown ,thrasher sings chiefly just after sunrise and before sunset1 but may be heard singing at intervals during the day4 ,his food consists of wild fruits1 such as blackberries and raspberries1 snails1 worms1 slugs and grubs4 ,he also obtains much of his food amongst the withered leaves and marshy places of the woods and shrubberies which he frequents4 ,few birds possess a more varied melody4 ,his notes are almost endless in variety1 each note seemingly uttered at the caprice of the bird1 without any perceptible approach to order4 ,the site of the ,thrush's nest is a varied one1 in the hedgerows1 under a fallen tree or fence-rail2 far up in the branches of stately trees1 or amongst the ivy growing up their trunks4 ,the nest is composed of the small dead twigs of trees1 lined with the fine fibers of roots4 ,from three to five eggs are deposited1 and are hatched in about twelve days4 ,they have a greenish background1 thickly spotted with light brown1 giving the whole egg a brownish appearance4 ,the ,brown ,thrush leaves the ,eastern and ,middle ,states1 on his migration ,south1 late in ,september1 remaining until the following ,may4 99 99 99 ,,the ,,thrush',s ,,nest4 ,within a thick and spreading hawthorn bush ,that overhung a molehill1 large and round1 ,i heard from morn to morn a merry thrush ,sing hymns of rapture while ,i drank the sound ,with joy--and oft an unintruding guest1 ,i watched her secret toils from day to day2 ,how true she warped the moss to form her nest1 ,and modeled it within with wood and clay4 ,and by and by1 with heath-bells gilt with dew1 ,there lay her shining eggs as bright as flowers1 ,ink-spotted over1 shells of green and blue3 ,and there ,i witnessed1 in the summer hours1 ,a brood of nature's minstrels chirp and fly1 ,glad as the sunshine and the laughing sky4 ,,the ,,brown ,,thrush4 ,dear ,readers3 ,my cousin ,robin ,redbreast told me that he wrote you a letter last month and sent it with his picture4 ,how did you like it8 ,he is a pretty bird--,cousin ,robin--and everybody likes him4 ,but ,i must tell you something of myself4 ,folks call me by different names--some of them nicknames1 too4 ,the cutest one of all is ,brown ,thrasher4 ,i wonder if you know why they call me ,thrasher4 ,if you don't1 ask some one4 ,it is really funny4 ,some people think ,cousin ,robin is the sweetest singer of our family1 but a great many like my song just as well4 ,early in the morning ,i sing among the bushes1 but later in the day you will always find me in the very top of a tree and it is then ,i sing my best4 ,do you know what ,i say in my song8 ,well1 if ,i am near a farmer while he is planting1 ,i say3 ,drop it1 drop it--cover it up1 cover it up--pull it up1 pull it up1 pull it up4 ,one thing ,i very seldom do and that is1 sing when near my nest4 ,maybe you can tell why4 ,i'm not very far from my nest now4 ,i just came down to the stream to get a drink and am watching that boy on the other side of the stream4 ,do you see him8 ,one dear lady who loves birds has said some very nice things about me in a book called ,bird ,ways4 ,another lady has written a beautiful poem about my singing4 ,ask your mamma or teacher the names of these ladies4 ,here is the poem3 ,there's a merry brown thrush sitting up in a tree4 ,he is singing to me6 ,he is singing to me6 ,and what does he say--little girl1 little boy8 ,oh1 the world's running over with joy6 ,hush6 ,look6 ,in my tree1 ,i am as happy as happy can be4 ,and the brown thrush keeps singing1 ,a nest1 do you see1 ,and five eggs1 hid by me in the big cherry tree8 ,don't meddle1 don't touch--little girl1 little boy-- ,or the world will lose some of its joy6 ,now ,i am glad6 now ,i am free6 ,and ,i always shall be1 ,if you never bring sorrow to me4 ,so the merry brown thrush sings away in the tree ,to you and to me--to you and to me2 ,and he sings all the day--little girl1 little boy-- ,oh1 the world's running over with joy6 ,but long it won't be1 ,don't you know8 don't you see8 ,unless we're good as good can be4 ,illustration3 ,,brown ,,thrasher4 ,illustration3 ,,japan ,,pheasant4 ,,the ,,japan ,,pheasant4 ,originally the ,pheasant was an inhabitant of ,asia ,minor but has been by degrees introduced into many countries1 where its beauty of form1 plumage1 and the delicacy of its flesh made it a welcome visitor4 ,the ,japan ,pheasant is a very beautiful species1 about which little is known in its wild state1 but in captivity it is pugnacious4 ,it requires much shelter and plenty of food1 and the breed is to some degree artificially kept up by the hatching of eggs under domestic hens and feeding them in the coop like ordinary chickens1 until they are old and strong enough to get their own living4 ,the food of this bird is extremely varied4 ,when young it is generally fed on ants' eggs1 maggots1 grits1 and similar food1 but when it is full grown it is possessed of an accommodating appetite and will eat many kinds of seeds1 roots1 and leaves4 ,it will also eat beans1 peas1 acorns1 berries1 and has even been known to eat the ivy leaf1 as well as the berry4 ,this ,pheasant loves the ground1 runs with great speed1 and always prefers to trust to its legs rather than to its wings4 ,it is crafty1 and when alarmed it slips quickly out of sight behind a bush or through a hedge1 and then runs away with astonishing rapidity1 always remaining under cover until it reaches some spot where it deems itself safe4 ,the male is not domestic1 passing an independent life during a part of the year and associating with others of its own sex during the rest of the season4 ,the nest is very rude1 being merely a heap of leaves and grass on the ground1 with a very slight depression4 ,the eggs are numerous1 about eleven or twelve1 and olive brown in color4 ,in total length1 though they vary considerably1 the full grown male is about three feet4 ,the female is smaller in size than her mate1 and her length a foot less4 ,the ,japan ,pheasant is not a particularly interesting bird aside from his beauty1 which is indeed brilliant1 there being few of the species more attractive4 ,,the ,,flicker4 ,a great variety of names does this bird possess4 ,it is commonly known as the ,golden ,winged ,woodpecker1 ,yellow-shafted ,flicker1 ,yellow ,hammer1 and less often as ,high-hole or ,high-holer1 ,wake-up1 etc4 ,in suitable localities throughout the ,united ,states and the southern parts of ,canada1 the ,flicker is a very common bird1 and few species are more generally known4 ,it is one of the most sociable of our ,woodpeckers1 and is apparently always on good terms with its neighbors4 ,it usually arrives in ,april1 occasionally even in ,march1 the males preceding the females a few days1 and as soon as the latter appear one can hear their voices in all directions4 ,the ,flicker is an ardent wooer4 ,it is an exceedingly interesting and amusing sight to see a couple of males paying their addresses to a coy and coquettish female2 the apparent shyness of the suitors as they sidle up to her and as quickly retreat again1 the shy glances given as one peeps from behind a limb watching the other--playing bo-peep--seem very human1 and ,i have seen1 says an observer1 few more amusing performances than the courtship of a pair of these birds4 ,the defeated suitor takes his rejection quite philosophically1 and retreats in a dignified manner1 probably to make other trials elsewhere4 ,few birds deserve our good will more than the ,flicker4 ,he is exceedingly useful1 destroying multitudes of grubs1 larv1 and worms4 ,he loves berries and fruit but the damage he does to cultivated fruit is very trifling4 ,the ,flicker begins to build its nest about two weeks after the bird arrives from the south4 ,it prefers open country1 interspersed with groves and orchards1 to nest in4 ,any old stump1 or partly decayed limb of a tree1 along the banks of a creek1 beside a country road1 or in an old orchard1 will answer the purpose4 ,soft wood trees seem to be preferred1 however4 ,in the prairie states it occasionally selects strange nesting sites4 ,it has been known to chisel through the weather boarding of a dwelling house1 barns1 and other buildings1 and to nest in the hollow space between this and the cross beams2 its nests have also been found in gate posts1 in church towers1 and in burrows of ,kingfishers and bank swallows1 in perpendicular banks of streams4 ,one of the most peculiar sites of his selection is described by ,william ,a4 ,bryant as follows3 ,on a small hill1 a quarter of a mile distant from any home1 stood a hay stack which had been placed there two years previously4 ,the owner1 during the winter of #ahhi-ij1 had cut the stack through the middle and hauled away one portion1 leaving the other standing1 with the end smoothly trimmed4 ,the following spring ,i noticed a pair of flickers about the stack showing signs of wanting to make it a fixed habitation4 ,one morning a few days later ,i was amused at the efforts of one of the pair4 ,it was clinging to the perpendicular end of the stack and throwing out clipped hay at a rate to defy competition4 ,this work continued for a week1 and in that time the pair had excavated a cavity twenty inches in depth4 ,they remained in the vicinity until autumn4 ,during the winter the remainder of the stack was removed4 ,they returned the following spring1 and1 after a brief sojourn1 departed for parts unknown4 ,from five to nine eggs are generally laid4 ,they are glossy white in color1 and when fresh appear as if enameled4 ,the young are able to leave the nest in about sixteen days2 they crawl about on the limbs of the tree for a couple of days before they venture to fly1 and return to the nest at night4 ,illustration3 ,,flicker4 ,,the ,,bobolink4 ,when ,nature had made all her birds1 ,and had no cares to think on1 ,she gave a rippling laugh1 ,and out there flew a ,bobolinkon4 ,no ,american ornithologist omits mention of the ,bobolink1 and naturalists generally have described him under one of the many names by which he is known4 ,in some ,states he is called the ,rice ,bird1 in others ,reed ,bird1 the ,rice or ,reed ,bunting1 while his more familiar title1 throughout the greater part of ,america1 is ,bobolink1 or ,bobolinkum4 ,in ,jamaica1 where he gets very fat during his winter stay1 he is called the ,butter ,bird4 ,his title of ,rice ,troopial is earned by the depredations which he annually makes upon the rice crops1 though his food is by no means restricted to that seed1 but consists in a large degree of insects1 grubs1 and various wild grasses4 ,a migratory bird1 residing during the winter in the southern parts of ,america1 he returns in vast multitudes northward in the early ,spring4 ,according to ,wilson1 their course of migration is as follows3 ,in ,april1 or very early in ,may1 the ,rice ,buntings1 male and female1 arrive within the southern boundaries of the ,united ,states1 and are seen around the town of ,savannah1 ,georgia1 sometimes in separate parties of males and females1 but more generally promiscuously4 ,they remain there but a short time1 and about the middle of ,may make their appearance in the lower part of ,pennsylvania4 ,while here the males are extremely gay and full of song1 frequenting meadows1 newly plowed fields1 sides of creeks1 rivers1 and watery places1 feeding on ,may flies and caterpillars1 of which they destroy great quantities4 ,in their passage1 however1 through ,virginia at this season1 they do great damage to the early wheat and barley while in their milky state4 ,about the #bjth of ,may they disappear on their way to the ,north4 ,nearly at the same time they arrive in the ,state of ,new ,york1 spread over the whole of the ,new ,england ,states1 as far as the river ,st4 ,lawrence1 and from ,lake ,ontario to the sea4 ,in all of these places they remain during the ,summer1 building their nests and rearing their young4 ,the ,bobolink's song is a peculiar one1 varying greatly with the occasion4 ,as he flys southward1 his cry is a kind of clinking note2 but the love song addressed to his mate is voluble and fervent4 ,it has been said that if you should strike the keys of a pianoforte haphazard1 the higher and the lower singly very quickly1 you might have some idea of the ,bobolink's notes4 ,in the month of ,june he gradually changes his pretty1 attractive dress and puts on one very like the females1 which is of a plain rusty brown1 and is not reassumed until the next season of nesting4 ,the two parent birds in the plate represent the change from the dark plumage in which the bird is commonly known in the ,north as the ,bobolink1 to the dress of yellowish brown by which it is known throughout the ,south as the ,rice or ,reed ,bird4 ,his nest1 small and a plain one1 too1 is built on the ground by his industrious little wife4 ,the inside is warmly lined with soft fibers of whatever may be nearest at hand4 ,five pretty white eggs1 spotted all over with brown are laid1 and as soon ,as the little ones chip the shell ,and five wide mouths are ready for food1 ',robert of ,lincoln' bestirs him well1 ,gathering seeds for this hungry brood4 ,,bobolink4 ,other birds may like to travel alone1 but when jolly ,mr4 ,bobolink and his quiet little wife come from the ,south1 where they have spent the winter1 they come with a large party of friends4 ,when ,south1 they eat so much rice that the people call them ,rice ,birds4 ,when they come ,north1 they enjoy eating wheat1 barley1 oats and insects4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,bobolink build their simple little nest of grasses in some field4 ,it is hard to find on the ground1 for it looks just like dry grass4 ,mrs4 ,bobolink wears a dull dress1 so she cannot be seen when she is sitting on the precious eggs4 ,she does not sing a note while caring for the eggs4 ,why do you think that is8 ,mr4 ,bob-,linkum does not wear a sober dress1 as you can see by his picture4 ,he does not need to be hidden4 ,he is just as jolly as he looks4 ,shall ,i tell you how he amuses his mate while she is sitting8 ,he springs from the dew-wet grass with a sound like peals of merry laughter4 ,he frolics from reed to post1 singing as if his little heart would burst with joy4 ,don't you think ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,bobolink look happy in the picture8 ,they have raised their family of five4 ,four of their children have gone to look for food2 one of them--he must surely be the baby--would rather stay with his mamma and papa4 ,which one does he look like8 ,many birds are quiet at noon and in the afternoon4 ,a flock of ,bobolinks can be heard singing almost all day long4 ,the song is full of high notes and low1 soft notes and loud1 all sung rapidly4 ,it is as gay and bright as the birds themselves1 who flit about playfully as they sing4 ,you will feel like laughing as merrily as they sing when you hear it some day4 ,illustration3 ,,bobolinks4 ,,the ,,blue ,,bird4 ,drifting down the first warm wind ,that thrills the earliest days of spring1 ,the ,bluebird seeks our maple groves ,and charms them into tasselling4 ,he sings1 and his is ,nature's voice-- ,a gush of melody sincere ,from that great fount of harmony ,which thaws and runs when ,spring is here4 ,short is his song1 but strangely sweet ,to ears aweary of the low ,dull tramps of ,winter's sullen feet1 ,sandalled in ice and muffled in snow4 99 99 99 ,think1 every morning1 when the sun peeps through ,the dim1 leaf-latticed windows of the grove1 ,how jubilant the happy birds renew ,their old1 melodious madrigals of love6 ,and when you think of this1 remember1 too1 ',tis always morning somewhere1 and above ,the awakening continents1 from shore to shore1 ,somewhere the birds are singing evermore4 ,think of your woods and orchards without birds6 ,of empty nests that cling to boughs and beams ,as in an idiot's brain remembered words ,hang empty 'mid the cobwebs of his dreams6 ,will bleat of flocks or bellowing of herds ,make up for the lost music1 when your teams ,drag home the stingy harvest1 and no more ,the feathered gleaners follow to your door8 ,,from ,,the ,,birds ,,of ,,killingsworth4 ,,the ,,crow4 ,caw6 ,caw6 ,caw6 little boys and girls4 ,caw6 ,caw6 ,caw6 ,just look at my coat of feathers4 ,see how black and glossy it is4 ,do you wonder ,i am proud of it8 ,perhaps you think ,i look very solemn and wise1 and not at all as if ,i cared to play games4 ,i do1 though2 and one of the games ,i like best is hide-and-seek4 ,i play it with the farmer in the spring4 ,he hides1 in the rich1 brown earth1 golden kernels of corn4 ,surely he does it because he knows ,i like it1 for sometimes he puts up a stick all dressed like a man to show where the corn is hidden4 ,sometimes ,i push my bill down into the earth to find the corn1 and at other times ,i wait until tiny green leaves begin to show above the ground1 and then ,i get my breakfast without much trouble4 ,i wonder if the farmer enjoys this game as much as ,i do4 ,i help him1 too1 by eating worms and insects4 ,during the spring and summer ,i live in my nest on the top of a very high tree4 ,it is built of sticks and grasses and straw and string and anything else ,i can pick up4 ,but in the fall1 ,i and all my relations and friends live together in great roosts or rookeries4 ,what good times we do have--hunting all day for food and talking all night4 ,wouldn't you like to be with us8 ,the farmer who lives in the house over there went to the mill to-day with a load of corn4 ,one of the ears dropped out of the wagon and it didn't take me long to find it4 ,i have eaten all ,i can possibly hold and am wondering now what is the best thing to do4 ,if you were in my place would you leave it here and not tell anybody and come back to-morrow and finish it8 ,or would you fly off and get ,mrs4 ,crow and some of the children to come and finish it8 ,i believe ,i'll fly and get them4 ,good-bye4 ,caw6 ,caw6 ,caw6 ,illustration3 ,,common ,,crow4 ,,the ,,common ,,crow4 ,the crow doth sing as merry as the lark1 ,when neither is attended4 ,few birds have more interesting characteristics than the ,common ,crow1 being1 in many of his actions1 very like the ,raven1 especially in his love for carrion4 ,like the ,raven1 he has been known to attack game1 although his inferior size forces him to call to his assistance the aid of his fellows to cope with larger creatures4 ,rabbits and hares are frequently the prey of this bird which pounces on them as they steal abroad to feed4 ,his food consists of reptiles1 frogs1 and lizards2 he is a plunderer of other birds' nests4 ,on the seashore he finds crabs1 shrimps and inhabited shells1 which he ingeniously cracks by flying with them to a great height and letting them fall upon a convenient rock4 ,the crow is seen in single pairs or in little bands of four or five4 ,in the autumn evenings1 however1 they assemble in considerable flocks before going to roost and make a wonderful chattering1 as if comparing notes of the events of the day4 ,the nest of the ,crow is placed in some tree remote from habitations of other birds4 ,although large and very conspicuous at a distance1 it is fixed upon one of the topmost branches quite out of reach of the hand of the adventurous urchin who longs to secure its contents4 ,it is loosely made and saucer shaped4 ,sticks and softer substances are used to construct it1 and it is lined with hair and fibrous roots4 ,very recently a thrifty and intelligent ,crow built for itself a summer residence in an airy tree near ,bombay1 the material used being gold1 silver1 and steel spectacle frames1 which the bird had stolen from an optician of that city4 ,eighty-four frames had been used for this purpose1 and they were so ingeniously woven together that the nest was quite a work of art4 ,the eggs are variable1 or rather individual1 in their markings1 and even in their size4 ,the ,crow rarely uses the same nest twice1 although he frequently repairs to the same locality from year to year4 ,he is remarkable for his attachment to his mate and young1 surpassing the ,fawn and ,turtle ,dove in conjugal courtesy4 ,the ,somali ,arabs bear a deadly hatred toward the ,crow4 ,the origin of their detestation is the superstition that during the flight of ,mohammed from his enemies1 he hid himself in a cave1 where he was perceived by the ,crow1 at that time a bird of light plumage1 who1 when he saw the pursuers approaching the spot1 perched above ,mohammed's hiding place1 and screamed1 ,ghar6 ,ghar6 7cave6 cave67 so as to indicate the place of concealment4 ,his enemies1 however1 did not understand the bird1 and passed on1 and ,mohammed1 when he came out of the cave1 clothed the ,crow in perpetual black1 and commanded him to cry ,ghar as long as ,crows should live4 ,and he lives to a good old age4 ,instances are not rare where he has attained to half a century1 without great loss of activity or failure of sight4 ,at ,red ,bank1 a few miles northeast of ,cincinnati1 on the ,little ,miami ,river1 in the bottoms1 large flocks of ,crows congregate the year around4 ,a few miles away1 high upon ,walnut ,hills1 is a ,crow roost1 and in the late afternoons the ,crows1 singly1 in pairs1 and in flocks1 are seen on the wing1 flying heavily1 with full crops1 on the way to the roost1 from which they descend in the early morning1 crying ,caw6 ,caw6 to the fields of the newly planted1 growing1 or matured corn1 or corn stacks1 as the season may provide4 ,,the ,,return ,,of ,,the ,,birds4 ,everywhere the blue sky belongs to them and is their appointed rest1 and their native country1 and their own natural home which they enter unannounced as lords that are certainly expected1 and yet there is a silent joy at their arrival4 ,the return of the birds to their real home in the ,north1 where they build their nests and rear their young1 is regarded by all genuine lovers of earth's messengers of gladness and gayety as one of the most interesting and poetical of annual occurrences4 ,the naturalist1 who notes the very day of each arrival1 in order that he may verify former observation or add to his material gathered for a new work1 does not necessarily anticipate with greater pleasure this event than do many whose lives are brightened by the coming of the friends of their youth1 who alone of early companions do not change4 ,first of all--and ever the same delightful warbler--the ,bluebird1 who1 in #ahie1 did not appear at all in many localities1 though here in considerable numbers last year1 betrays himself4 ,did he come down out of the heaven on that bright ,march morning when he told us so softly and plaintively that1 if we pleased1 spring had come8 ,sometimes he is here a little earlier1 and must keep his courage up until the cold snap is over and the snow is gone4 ,not long after the ,bluebird1 comes the ,robin1 sometimes in ,march1 but in most of the northern states ,april is the month of his arrival4 ,with his first utterance the spell of winter is broken1 and the remembrance of it afar off4 ,then appears the ,woodpecker in great variety1 the ,flicker usually arriving first4 ,he is always somebody's old favorite1 announcing his arrival by a long1 loud call1 repeated from the dry branch of some tree1 or a stake in the fence--a thoroughly melodious ,april sound4 ,few perhaps reflect upon the difficulties encountered by the birds themselves in their returning migrations4 ,a voyager sometimes meets with many of our common birds far out at sea4 ,such wanderers1 it is said1 when suddenly overtaken by a fog1 completely lose their sense of direction and become hopelessly lost4 ,humming birds1 those delicately organized1 glittering gems1 are among the most common of the land species seen at sea4 ,the present season has been quite favorable to the protection of birds4 ,a very competent observer says that not all of the birds migrated this winter4 ,he recently visited a farm less than an hour's ride from ,chicago1 where he found the old place1 as he relates it1 chucked full of ,robins1 ,blackbirds1 and ,woodpeckers1 and others unknown to him4 ,from this he inferred they would have been in ,florida had indications predicted a severe winter4 ,the trees of the south parks of ,chicago1 and those in suburban places1 have had1 darting through their branches during the months of ,december and ,january1 nearly as many members of the ,woodpecker tribe as were found there during the mating season in ,may last4 ,alas1 that the ,robin will visit us in diminished numbers in the approaching spring4 ,he has not been so common for a year or two as he was formerly1 for the reason that the ,robins died by thousands of starvation1 owing to the freezing of their food supply in ,tennessee during the protracted cold weather in the winter of #ahie4 ,it is indeed sad that this good ,samaritan among birds should be defenseless against the severity of ,nature1 the common mother of us all4 ,nevertheless the return of the birds1 in myriads or in single pairs1 will be welcomed more and more1 year by year1 as intelligent love and appreciation of them shall possess the popular mind4 ,illustration3 ,,black ,,tern4 ,mother and ,young with ,eggs4 ,,the ,,black ,,tern4 ,the ,tern1 says ,mr4 ,f4 ,m4 ,woodruff1 of the ,chicago ,academy of ,sciences1 is the only representative of the long-winged swimmers which commonly nests with us on our inland fresh water marshes1 arriving early in ,may in its brooding plumage of sooty black4 ,the color changes in the autumn to white1 and a number of the adult birds may be found1 in the latter part of ,july1 dotted and streaked here and there with white4 ,on the first of ,june1 #ahia1 ,i found a large colony of ,black ,terns nesting on ,hyde ,lake1 ,cook ,county1 ,illinois4 ,as ,i approached the marsh a few birds were seen flying high in the air1 and1 as ,i neared the nesting site1 the flying birds gave notes of alarm1 and presently the air was filled with the graceful forms of this beautiful little bird4 ,they circled about me1 darting down to within a few feet of my head1 constantly uttering a harsh1 screaming cry4 ,as the eggs are laid upon the bare ground1 which the brownish and blackish markings so closely resemble1 ,i was at first unable to find the nests1 and discovered that the only way to locate them was to stand quietly and watch the birds4 ,when the ,tern is passing over the nest it checks its flight1 and poises for a moment on quivering wings4 ,by keeping my eyes on this spot ,i found the nest with very little trouble4 ,the complement of eggs1 when the bird has not been disturbed1 is usually three4 ,these are laid in a saucer shaped structure of dead vegetation1 which is scraped together1 from the surface of the wet1 boggy ground4 ,the bird figured in the plate had placed its nest on the edge of an old muskrat house1 and my attention was attracted to it by the fact that upon the edge of the rat house1 where it had climbed to rest itself1 was the body of a young dabchick1 or piedbilled grebe1 scarcely two and one-half inches long1 and not twenty-four hours out of the egg1 a beautiful little ball of blackish down1 striped with brown and white4 ,from the latter part of ,july to the middle of ,august large flocks of ,black ,terns may be seen on the shores of our larger lakes on their annual migration southward4 ,the ,rev4 ,p4 ,b4 ,peabody1 in alluding to his observation of the nests of the ,tern1 says3 ,amid this floating sea of aquatic nests ,i saw an unusual number of well constructed homes of the ,tern4 ,among these was one that ,i count a perfect nest4 ,it rested on the perfectly flat foundation of a small decayed rat house1 which was about fourteen inches in diameter4 ,the nest1 in form1 is a truncated cone 7barring the cavity71 was about eight inches high and ten inches in diameter4 ,the hollow--quite shallow--was about seven inches across1 being thus unusually large4 ,the whole was built up of bits of rushes1 carried to the spot1 these being quite uniform in length--about four inches4 ,after daily observation of the ,tern1 during which time he added much to his knowledge of the bird1 he pertinently asks3 ,who shall say how many traits and habits yet unknown may be discovered through patient watching of community-breeding birds1 by men enjoying more of leisure for such delightful studies than often falls to the lot of most of us who have bread and butter to earn and a tiny part of the world's work to finish8 ,,the ,,meadow ,,lark4 ,not an inch of his body is free from delight4 ,can he keep himself still if he would8 ,oh1 not he6 ,the music stirs in him like wind through a tree4 ,the well known ,meadow or ,old ,field ,lark is a constant resident south of latitude #ci1 and many winter farther north in favorite localities4 ,its geographical range is eastern ,north ,america1 ,canada to south ,nova ,scotia1 ,quebec1 and ,ontario to eastern ,manitoba2 west to ,minnesota1 ,iowa1 ,missouri1 eastern ,kansas1 the ,indian ,territory1 and ,texas2 south to ,florida and the ,gulf coast1 in all of which localities1 except in the extreme north1 it usually rears two or three broods in a season4 ,in the ,northern ,states it is only a summer resident1 arriving in ,april and remaining until the latter part of ,october and occasionally ,november4 ,excepting during the breeding season1 small flocks may often be seen roving about in search of good feeding grounds4 ,major ,bendire says this is especially true in the fall of the year4 ,at this time several families unite1 and as many as two dozen may occasionally be flushed in a field1 over which they scatter1 roaming about independently of each other4 ,when one takes wing all the others in the vicinity follow4 ,it is a shy bird in the ,east1 while in the middle states it is quite the reverse4 ,its flight is rather laborious1 at least in starting1 and is continued by a series of rapid movements of the wings1 alternating with short distances of sailing1 and is rarely protracted4 ,on alighting1 which is accompanied with a twitching of its tail1 it usually settles on some fence rail1 post1 boulder1 weedstock1 or on a hillock in a meadow from which it can get a good view of the surroundings1 and but rarely on a limb of a tree4 ,its favorite resorts are meadows1 fallow fields1 pastures1 and clearings1 but in some sections1 as in northern ,florida1 for instance1 it also frequents the low1 open pine woods and nests there4 ,the song of the ,meadow ,lark is not much varied1 but its clear1 whistling notes1 so frequently heard in the early spring1 are melodious and pleasing to the ear4 ,it is decidedly the farmers' friend1 feeding1 as it does1 on noxious insects1 caterpillars1 moths1 grasshoppers1 spiders1 worms and the like1 and eating but little grain4 ,the lark spends the greater part of its time on the ground1 procuring all its food there4 ,it is seldom found alone1 and it is said remains paired for life4 ,nesting begins in the early part of ,may and lasts through ,june4 ,both sexes assist in building the nest1 which is always placed on the ground1 either in a natural depression1 or in a little hollow scratched out by the birds1 alongside a bunch of grass or weeds4 ,the nest itself is lined with dry grass1 stubble1 and sometimes pine needles4 ,most nests are placed in level meadows4 ,the eggs and young are frequently destroyed by vermin1 for the meadow lark has many enemies4 ,the eggs vary from three to seven1 five being the most common1 and both sexes assist in the hatching1 which requires about fifteen or sixteen days4 ,the young leave the nest before they are able to fly--hiding at the slightest sign of danger4 ,the ,meadow ,lark does not migrate beyond the ,united ,states4 ,it is a native bird1 and is only accidental in ,england4 ,the eggs are spotted1 blotched1 and speckled with shades of brown1 purple and lavender4 ,a curious incident is told of a ,meadow ,lark trying to alight on the top mast of a schooner several miles at sea4 ,it was evidently very tired but would not venture near the deck4 ,illustration3 ,,meadow ,,lark4 ,,the ,,meadow ,,lark4 ,i told the man who wanted my picture that he could take it if he would show my nest and eggs4 ,do you blame me for saying so8 ,don't you think it makes a better picture than if ,i stood alone8 ,mr4 ,lark is away getting me some breakfast1 or he could be in the picture1 too4 ,after a few days ,i shall have some little baby birds1 and then won't we be happy4 ,boys and girls who live in the country know us pretty well4 ,when they drive the cows out to pasture1 or when they go out to gather wild flowers1 we sit on the fences by the roadside and make them glad with our merry song4 ,those of you who live in the city cannot see us unless you come out into the country4 ,it isn't very often that we can find such a pretty place for a nest as we have here4 ,most of the time we build our nest under the grass and cover it over1 and build a little tunnel leading to it4 ,this year we made up our minds not to be afraid4 ,the people living in the houses over there do not bother us at all and we are so happy4 ,you never saw baby larks1 did you8 ,well1 they are queer little fellows1 with hardly any feathers on them4 ,last summer we had five little birdies to feed1 and it kept us busy from morning till night4 ,this year we only expect three1 and ,mr4 ,lark says he will do all the work4 ,he knows a field that is being plowed1 where he can get nice1 large worms4 ,hark6 that is he singing4 ,he will be surprised when he comes back and finds me off the nest4 ,he is so afraid that ,i will let the eggs get cold1 but ,i won't4 ,there he comes1 now4 ,,the ,,long-,,eared ,,owl4 ,the name of the ,long-,eared ,owl is derived from the great length of his ears or feather-tufts1 which are placed upon the head1 and erect themselves whenever the bird is interested or excited4 ,it is the black sheep of the owl family1 the majority of owls being genuine friends of the agriculturist1 catching for his larder so many of the small animals that prey upon his crops4 ,in ,america he is called the ,great ,horned ,owl--in ,europe the ,golden ,owl4 ,nesting time with the owl begins in ,february1 and continues through ,march and ,april4 ,the clown-like antics of both sexes of this bird while under the tender influence of the nesting season tend somewhat to impair their reputation for dignity and wise demeanor4 ,they usually have a simple nest in a hollow tree1 but which seems seldom to be built by the bird itself1 as it prefers to take the deserted nest of some other bird1 and to fit up the premises for its own use4 ,they repair slightly from year to year the same nest4 ,the eggs are white1 and generally four or five in number4 ,while the young are still in the nest1 the parent birds display a singular diligence in collecting food for them4 ,if you should happen to know of an owl's nest1 stand near it some evening when the old birds are rearing their young4 ,keep quiet and motionless1 and notice how frequently the old birds feed them4 ,every ten minutes or so the soft flap1 flap of their wings will be heard1 the male and female alternately1 and you will obtain a brief glimpse of them through the gloom as they enter the nesting place4 ,they remain inside but a short time1 sharing the food equally amongst their brood1 and then are off again to hunt for more4 ,all night1 were you to have the inclination to observe them1 you would find they pass to and fro with food1 only ceasing their labors at dawn4 ,the young1 as soon as they reach maturity1 are abandoned by their parents2 they quit the nest and seek out haunts elsewhere1 while the old birds rear another1 and not infrequently two more broods1 during the remainder of the season4 ,the habits of the ,long-,eared ,owl are nocturnal4 ,he is seldom seen in the light of day1 and is greatly disturbed if he chance to issue from his concealment while the sun is above the horizon4 ,the facial disk is very conspicuous in this species4 ,it is said that the use of this circle is to collect the rays of light1 and throw them upon the eye4 ,the flight of the owl is softened by means of especially shaped1 recurved feather-tips1 so that he may noiselessly steal upon his prey1 and the ear is also so shaped as to gather sounds from below4 ,the ,long-,eared ,owl is hardly tameable4 ,the writer of this paragraph1 when a boy1 was the possessor1 for more than a year1 of a very fine specimen4 ,we called him ,judge4 ,he was a monster1 and of perfect plumage4 ,although he seemed to have some attachment to the children of the family who fed him1 he would not permit himself to be handled by them or by any one in the slightest4 ,most of his time he spent in his cage1 an immense affair1 in which he was very comfortable4 ,occasionally he had a day in the barn with the rats and mice4 ,the owl is of great usefulness to gardener1 agriculturist1 and landowner alike1 for there is not another bird of prey which is so great a destroyer of the enemies of vegetation4 ,illustration3 ,,great ,,horned ,,owl4 ,,the ,,owl4 ,we know not alway ,who are kings by day1 ,but the king of the night is the bold brown owl6 ,i wonder why the folks put my picture last in the book4 ,it can't be because they don't like me1 for ,i'm sure ,i never bother them4 ,i don't eat the farmer's corn like the crow1 and no one ever saw me quarrel with other birds4 ,maybe it is because ,i can't sing4 ,well1 there are lots of good people that can't sing1 and so there are lots of good birds that can't sing4 ,did you ever see any other bird sit up as straight as ,i do8 ,i couldn't sit up so straight if ,i hadn't such long1 sharp claws to hold on with4 ,my home is in the woods4 ,here we owls build our nests--most always in hollow trees4 ,during the day ,i stay in the nest or sit on a limb4 ,i don't like day time for the light hurts my eyes1 but when it begins to grow dark then ,i like to stir around4 ,all night long ,i am wide awake and fly about getting food for my little hungry ones4 ,they sleep most of the day and it keeps me busy nearly all night to find them enough to eat4 ,i just finished my night's work when the man came to take my picture4 ,it was getting light and ,i told him to go to a large stump on the edge of the woods and ,i would sit for my picture4 ,so here ,i am4 ,don't you think ,i look wise8 ,how do you like my large eyes8 ,if ,i could smile at you ,i would1 but my face always looks sober4 ,i have a great many cousins and if you really like my picture1 ,i'll have some of them talk to you next month4 ,i don't think any of them have such pretty feathers though4 ,just see if they have when they come4 ,well1 ,i must fly back to my perch in the old elm tree4 ,good-bye4 ,,the ,,owl4 ,in the hollow tree1 in the old gray tower1 ,the spectral owl doth dwell2 ,dull1 hated1 despised in the sunshine hour1 ,but at dusk he's abroad and well6 ,not a bird of the forest e'er mates with him2 ,all mock him outright by day2 ,but at night1 when the woods grow still and dim1 ,the boldest will shrink away6 ,o6 when the night falls1 and roosts the fowl1 ,then1 then1 is the reign of the ,horned ,owl6 ,and the owl hath a bride1 who is fond and bold1 ,and loveth the wood's deep gloom2 ,and1 with eyes like the shine of the moonstone cold1 ,she awaiteth her ghastly groom4 ,not a feather she moves1 not a carol she sings1 ,as she waits in her tree so still1 ,but when her heart heareth his flapping wings1 ,she hoots out her welcome shrill6 ,o6 when the moon shines1 and dogs do howl1 ,then1 then1 is the joy of the ,horned ,owl6 ,mourn not for the owl1 nor his gloomy plight6 ,the owl hath his share of good-- ,if a prisoner he be in the broad daylight1 ,he is lord in the dark greenwood6 ,nor lonely the bird1 nor his ghastly mate1 ,they are each unto each a pride2 ,thrice fonder1 perhaps1 since a strange1 dark fate ,hath rent them from all beside6 ,so1 when the night falls1 and dogs do howl1 ,sing1 ,ho6 for the reign of the ,horned ,owl6 ,we know not alway ,who are kings by day1 ,but the ,king of the ,night is the bold ,brown ,owl6 ,,bryan ,w4 ,,procter 7,barry ,cornwall47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,racycle ,,narrow ,,tread ,,the ,,verdict ,,is ,,in ,illustration ,please mention ,,birds when you write to advertisers4 ,,testimonials4 ,,frankfort1 ,,ky41 ,february #c1 #ahig4 ,w4 ,j4 ,,black1 ,vice-,president1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i have a copy of your magazine entitled ,birds1 and beg to say that ,i consider it one of the finest things on the subject that ,i have ever seen1 and shall be pleased to recommend it to county and city superintendents of the state4 ,very respectfully1 ,w4 ,j4 ,,davidson1 ,state ,superintendent ,public ,instruction4 99 99 99 ,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,january #bg1 #ahig4 ,w4 ,j4 ,,black1 ,,esq41 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,i am very much obliged for the copy of ,birds that has just come to hand4 ,it should be in the hands of every primary and grammar teacher4 ,i send herewith copy of ,list of ,san ,francisco ,teachers4 ,very respectfully1 ,m4 ,,babcock4 99 99 99 ,,lincoln1 ,,neb41 ,february #i1 #ahig4 ,w4 ,j4 ,,black1 ,chicago1 ,ill4 ,dear ,sir3 ,the first number of your magazine1 ,birds1 is upon my desk4 ,i am highly pleased with it4 ,it will prove a very serviceable publication--one that strikes out along the right lines4 ,for the purpose intended1 it has1 in my opinion1 no equal4 ,it is clear1 concise1 and admirably illustrated4 ,very respectfully1 ,w4 ,r4 ,,jackson1 ,state ,superintendent ,public ,instruction4 99 99 99 ,,north ,,lima1 ,,ohio1 ,february #a1 #ahig4 ,,mr4 ,w4 ,e4 ,,watt1 ,dear ,sir3 ,sample copy of ,birds received4 ,all of the family delighted with it4 ,we wish it unbounded success4 ,it will be an excellent supplement to ,in ,birdland in the ,ohio ,teachers' ,reading ,circle1 and ,i venture ,ohio will be to the front with a good subscription list4 ,i enclose list of teachers4 ,very truly1 ,c4 ,m4 ,l4 ,,altdoerffer1 ,township ,superintendent4 99 99 99 ,,milwaukee1 ,january #cj1 #ahig4 ,,nature ,,study ,,publishing ,,company1 #bbg ,dearborn ,street1 ,chicago4 ,gentlemen3 ,i acknowledge with pleasure the receipt of your publication1 ,birds1 with accompanying circulars4 ,i consider it the best on the subject in existence4 ,i have submitted the circulars and publication to my teachers1 who have nothing to say but praise in behalf of the monthly4 ,,julius ,,torney1 ,principal #bnd ,dist4 ,primary ,school1 ,milwaukee1 ,wis4 ,,our ,,premium ,a picture of wonderful beauty of the ,golden ,pheasant almost life size in a natural scene1 plate #abx#ah inches1 on card #aix#be inches1 is given as a premium to yearly subscribers4 ,our price on this picture in ,art ,stores is #c4ej4