220 



CITIZEN BIRD 



THE VESPER SPARROW 

 (The Grass Finch) 



'' Please, uncle, before l,,,- --' you tell us about 



Avill you look at a 

 striped, clull-brown bird 

 that has been fidgeting 

 over there under the 

 bushes ever since Ave haA^e 

 been here ? " 



'' I luiA^e been 

 Avatching Jiim 

 too," said Hap ; 

 ^'a minute ago, 

 Avhen lie flcAV 

 over the stone 

 fence, I saAv he 

 had Avhite feath- 

 ers outside on 

 - now lie is back 



" HoAV A^ery kind that bird is 

 to come Avhen he is Avanted, 

 and save my time — it is the 

 Vesper SparroAV himself. I sus- 

 pect that Ave are nearer to his 

 nest than he cares to liaA-e us, he is so uneasy." 



Vesper Sparrow. 



" Where 



AVOl 



dd the nest most likeb 



be 



asked 



Nat ; " in a tree or a bush ? 



" ]\Iost Sparrow nests are near the ground," said Rap. 



" A little lower yet, Rap ; the Vesper Sparrow sinks 



his deep nest either in thick grass or in the ground 



