A TRIBE OF WEED WARRIORS 213 



me " on every down-grade curve, until by common con- 

 sent they alighted among some wild grasses, where the 

 early yellow thistles were already going to seed. 



" Watch and listen," said the Doctor, as he handed 

 the field-glass to the children in turn. 



There was a perfect babel of bird-talk, the jaunty 

 blond males all making pretty speeches to the gentle 

 brown-haired females, who laughed merry little bird- 

 laughs in return. 



''- It is like the noise in the store where they sell Ca- 

 naries," whispered Nat, after taking a long look; '' first 

 they all sing together and then a fcAv sing so much 

 louder that the others stop. I wonder what they are 

 saying? " 



*' They are talking about housekeeping," said the 

 Doctor. " Some of the ladies say they prefer high 

 apartments in a tree-top, while others like one -story 

 bushes the best ; but all agree that the ground floor is 

 too damp for the health of their families. In a few 

 days, or a week at most, this merry flock will have 

 parted company, and two by two the birds will begin 

 housekeeping." 



" Why, they are pulling off the thistle-doAvn, and 

 gobbling it up. I should think it would choke them," 

 said Dodo. 



" Those are some of the fly-away seeds that Rap 

 spoke of a moment ago. The fluff is not the seed, but a 

 sort of sail to which the seed is fastened, that the wind 

 may blow it away to another place to grow. If you 

 look carefully you will see that the birds do not eat 

 thistle-down, but only the seed; they will soon use the 

 down to line their pretty round cup-shaped nests." 



