474 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the steady man of business, working hard for the support of his large 

 family. His bright black coat is exchanged for a plian brown one simi- 

 lar to that worn by Mrs. Bobolink. In late autumn he flics .south to the 

 rice fields of South Carolina, where he is known as the rice bird. Noth- 

 ing could be more commonplace than his life here. He gorges day af- 

 ter day on the plentiful rice until he is finally captured and served on 

 the planter's table, making as nice a dish as if the ambition of his life 

 time had been to grow fat atid be eaten. 



All these and many more have been sung again and again by the 

 hearts that loved them. Many poems have been written in honor of a 

 particular bird, but poets generally prefer to love them all and sing of 

 them all simply as birds. Beautiful are some of the legends connected 

 with them several of which are told by Longfellow such as "The Em- 

 peror's Bird Nest," Walter Von Der Vogelweid and especially "The 

 Birds ot Kenilworth," in which are given the mournful results of a will- 

 ful bird massacre. 



Happy little birds ! So long as they live and sing they will be 

 loved — loved because, being tree and innocent, they bring good cheer in 

 our gayer hours, but better still they will be loved because being as 

 bright and beautiful as when they came from the hands of their Maker 

 they give comfort and encouragement to the sad soul trying to look up- 

 ward. 



