CITIZEN BIRD 57 



men who covet the Oriole and Cardinal for their gay 

 feathers and the Robin and Meadowlark for pot-pie." 



" Singing-bird pie is wicked. I would like to pound 

 them all," said Dodo, striking her fists together, as 

 Nat did sometimes, not making it clear whether it was 

 pie or people she wanted to pound. "But, uncle, it 

 is right to eat some birds — Ducks and Chickens and 

 Geese and Turkeys." 



'' Yes, Dodo, they belong to another class of birds — 

 a lower order that seem made for food — not singing 

 nor helping the farmers ; but even these should not be 

 shot needlessly or in their nesting season. But the 

 higher order — the perching Song Birds — should never 

 be shot, except the common Sparrow of Europe that 

 we call the English Sparrow. His habits are wholly 

 bad; he meddles with the nests of useful birds and is a 

 nuisance to his human as well as bird neiofhbors. 



" To prevent confusion Heart of Nature has divided 

 the habits and appetites of Birdland, so that instead of 

 a great many families all building in one kind of tree, 

 or eating the same sort of insects or seeds, each has its 

 own manners and customs. Thus they divide among 

 themselves the realms of the air, the water, the trees, 

 and the ground. Some birds, as the Swallows and Fly- 

 catchers, skim through the air to catch Avinged insects. 

 Others, like the Woodpeckers and Warblers, take the 

 scaly insects from the bark of trees. Others that walk 

 on the ground, like tlie Robin, the Thrush, Meadow- 

 lark, Crow, and Red-winged l^>laekbird, eat ground 

 things, such as the fat eutwcn-ms which mow with sharp 

 jaws the young plants of corn, cabbage, and onions." 

 ' " Please, Doctor Hunter," asked Rap, " I thought 



