204 CITIZEN BIRD 



" The birds were brought, and for a while they ate 

 the worms and stayed near cities. But soon the change 

 in climate also changed their liking for insects, and 

 they became almost wholly seed and vegetable eaters, 

 devouring the young buds on vines and trees, grass- 

 seed, oats, rye, wheat, and other grains. 



" Worse than this, they increased very fast and 

 spread everywhere, quarrelling with and driving out 

 the good citizens, who belong to the regular Birdland 

 guilds, taking their homes and making themselves 

 nuisances. The Wise Men protested against bringing 

 these Sparrows, but no one heeded their warning until 

 it was too late. Now it is decided that these Sparrows 

 are bad Citizens and criminals ; so they are; condemned 

 by every one. All this trouble came because one man, 

 as Rap says, 'thought he was so smart and mixed 

 things up.' " 



" It Avas those Sparrows in the city that made me 

 think all wild birds must be ugly ; but that was be- 

 cause /was too smart and didn't know anything about 

 other birds," said Nat frankly. 



'' I think we are getting way off from Nat's yellow 

 bird," said Dodo ; " and now I see lots more of Rap's 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, over on the fence. I want to 

 know what they are doing in the potato field. I hope 

 they don't dig up the little potatoes." 



"No, you need not worry about that," said the Doc- 

 tor, " and you must wait a bit yet, for the Rose-breast 

 does not come until nearly the end of his family." 



" There must be a great many different-looking birds 

 in this Finch family," said Rap, " if plain Sparrows and 

 yellow Goldfinches both belong to it." 



