104 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



PIED-BILLED GREBE FLYING THROUGH WATER WITH I. ECS FLOPPING. 



Interesting Habits. 

 One with the right sort of interest in 

 birds should find their every way and 

 action interesting. The very fact that 

 a given habit is altogether ordinary 

 gives it the value of that fact ; and facts 

 of all kinds are what we want. There 

 is a peculiar interest in seeing the odd, 

 the grotesque, the abnormal : but the 

 main point to be observed about even 

 these special cases is the fact that they 

 are odd grotesque, abnormal. I once 

 saw a pure white crow which o 

 speak English. Now, there is practi- 

 cally nothing more to be said about 

 that individual. On the other hand, 

 t volumes will still be written 



ut common, black crows which 

 speak only plain Crow ! 



However, it is one of the many 



A TREE SWALLOW SHAKING WATER OUT 

 OF PLUMAGE AFTER BATHING. 



LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE FLUTTERING TO 



SCARE PREY OUT OF BUSHES OR TO 



INTIMIDATE IT. 



claims the birds have to our attention 

 that in the usual course of their daily 

 lives the}- do, more or less habitually, 

 many things which make a special ap- 

 peal . The instances selected for 

 mention in this article are merely typ- 

 ical of the numerous interesting traits 



birds in general. 



This is the season in which to find 



l-billed grebes in quiet waters such 



as old mill-ponds. Watch one of these 



"hell divers" closely from a place of 



concealment and you may see some 



