i68 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



twenty-three sub-species. In Alaska the Song 

 Sparrow is nearly nine inches long ; in Mexico, only 

 six. The Song Sparrow of the wettest part of the 

 Pacific slope is a dark-colored bird, called the 

 Sooty Song Sparrow; the same species in the 

 waterless arid wastes of Arizona is a pale, washed- 

 ont, yellow-browTi color and is known as the Desert 

 Song Sparrow. It says here that one would never 

 take them for the same bird, but it 's only a differ- 

 ence of climate and geography." 



''Look in yo' book," said Bull, "an' j5nd out if 

 there is any difference between Turkeys here an' 

 in Florida. Seems to me the ones I shot down 

 there were smaller an' looked a little different." 



''Yes," said the boy, looking up, "you're right. 

 Bull. It's a different sub-species. They are 

 smaller and the primary feathers of the wings 

 aren't as regularly barred with white." 



"Supposin'," said Bull, looking sharply at 

 Shan, "that yo' know all that, an' know all those 

 long names, what good '11 it do yo'?" 



For a moment this practical question staggered 

 Shan. He had started to learn the names largely 

 because the book told him he should. Now he set 

 his wits to work to find out why. 



"I reckon," he said, after a pause, "that it's a 



