so true to life, that study of them will enable any one to identify the species shown. I am greatly indebted to Mr. Fuertes for his cooperation in the endeavor to make this book of real assistance to the beginner in the study of our native birds.
It is offered to the reader without apologies of any sort. It was written as a labor of love--love for little children and love for the birds. If as a result of it even a few children are led to a keener interest in and better understanding of our feathered friends, its purpose will have been accomplished.
THORNTON W. BURGESS
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
JENNY WREN ARRIVES Introducing the House Wren.
II THE OLD ORCHARD BULLY The English or House Sparrow.
III JENNY HAS A GOOD WORD FOR SOME SPARROWS The Song, White-throated and Fox Sparrows.
IV CHIPPY, SWEETVOICE AND DOTTY The Chipping, Vesper and Tree Sparrows.
V PETER LEARNS SOMETHING HE HADN'T GUESSED The Bluebird and the Robin.
VI AN OLD FRIEND IN A NEW HOME The Phoebe and the Least Flycatcher.
VII THE WATCHMAN OF THE OLD ORCHARD The Kingbird and the Great Crested Flycatcher.
VIII OLD CLOTHES AND OLD HOUSES The Wood Peewee and Some Nesting Places.
IX LONGBILL AND TEETER The Woodcock and the Spotted Sandpiper.
X REDWING AND YELLOW WING The Red-winged Blackbird and the Golden-winged Flicker.
XI DRUMMERS AND CARPENTERS The Downy, Hairy and Red-headed Woodpeckers.
XII SOME UNLIKE RELATIVES The Cowbird and the Baltimore Oriole.
XIII MORE OF THE BLACKBIRD FAMILY The Orchard Oriole and the Bobolink.
XIV BOB WHITE AND CAROL THE MEADOW LARK The So-called Quail and the Meadow Lark.
XV A SWALLOW AND ONE WHO ISN'T The Tree Swallow and the Chimney Swift.
XVI A ROBBER IN THE OLD ORCHARD The Purple Martin and the Barn Swallow.
XVII MORE ROBBERS The Crow and the Blue Jay.
XVIII SOME HOMES IN THE GREEN FOREST The Crow, the Oven Bird and the Red-tailed Hawk.
XIX A MAKER OF THUNDER AND A FRIEND IN BLACK The Ruffed Grouse and the Crow Blackbird.
XX A FISHERMAN ROBBED The Osprey and the Bald-headed Eagle.
XXI A FISHING PARTY The Great Blue Heron and the Kingfisher.
XXII SOME FEATHERED DIGGERS The Bank Swallow, the Kingfisher and the Sparrow Hawk.
XXIII SOME BIG MOUTHS The Nighthawk, the Whip-poor-will and Chuck-wills- widow.
XXIV THE WARBLERS ARRIVE The Redstart and the Yellow Warbler.
XXV THREE COUSINS QUITE UNLIKE The Black and White Warbler, the Maryland Yellow-Throat and the Yellow-breasted Chat.
XXVI PETER GETS A LAME NECK The Parula, Myrtle and Magnolia Warblers.
XXVII A NEW FRIEND AND AN OLD ONE The Cardinal and the Catbird.
XXVIII PETER SEES ROSEBREAST AND FINDS REDCOAT The Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Scarlet Tanager.
XXIX THE CONSTANT SINGERS The Red-eyed, Warbling and Yellow-throated Vireos.
XXX JENNY WREN'S COUSINS The Brown Thrasher and the Mockingbird.
XXXI VOICE OF THE DUSK The Wood, Hermit and Wilson's Thrushes.
XXXII PETER SAVES A FRIEND AND LEARNS SOMETHING The Towhee and the Indigo Bunting.
XXXIII A ROYAL DRESSER AND A LATE NESTER The Purple Linnet and the Goldfinch.
XXXIV MOURNER THE DOVE AND CUCKOO The Mourning Dove and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
XXXV A BUTCHER AND A HUMMER The Shrike and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
XXXVI A STRANGER AND A DANDY The English Starling and the Cedar Waxwing.
XXXVII FAREWELLS AND WELCOMES The Chickadee.
XXXVIII HONKER AND DIPPY ARRIVE The Canada Goose and the Loon.
XXXIX PETER DISCOVERS TWO OLD FRIENDS The White-breasted Nuthatch and the Brown Creeper.
XL SOME MERRY SEED-EATERS The Tree Sparrow and the Junco.
XLI MORE FRIENDS COME WITH THE SNOW The Snow Bunting and the Horned Lark.
XLII PETER LEARNS SOMETHING ABOUT SPOOKY The Screech Owl.
XLIII QUEER FEET AND A QUEERER BILL The Ruffed Grouse and the Crossbills.
XLIV MORE FOLKS IN RED The Pine Grosbeak and the Redpoll.
XLV PETER SEES TWO TERRIBLE FEATHERED HUNTERS The Goshawk and the Great Horned Owl.
THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN
CHAPTER I
Jenny Wren Arrives.
Lipperty-lipperty-lip scampered Peter Rabbit behind the tumble-down stone wall along one side of the Old Orchard. It was early in the morning, very early in the morning. In fact, jolly, bright Mr. Sun had hardly begun his daily climb up in the blue, blue sky. It was nothing unusual for Peter to see jolly Mr. Sun get up in the morning. It would be more unusual for Peter not to see him, for you know Peter is a great hand to stay out all night and not go back to the dear Old Briar-patch, where his home is, until the hour when most folks are just getting out of bed.
Peter had been out all night this time, but he wasn't sleepy, not the least teeny, weeny bit. You see, sweet Mistress Spring had arrived, and there was so much happening on every side, and Peter was so afraid he would miss something, that he wouldn't have slept at all if he could have helped it. Peter had come over to the Old Orchard so early this morning to see if there had been any new arrivals the day
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