250 CITIZEN BIRD 



" How would you like to go down to the seashore 

 to-morrow, little folks ? " 



" There 1 " exclaimed Dodo ; " you see there is more 

 niceness yet ! " 



'^ I suppose by that you mean ' yes,' " laughed the 

 Doctor. " Olive and I have planned to take the six- 

 seated surrey, with a hamper of good things to eat, 

 and drive down to the sandy shore where the river 

 broadens into salt water. There is a house on the 

 bay where we can have our dinner, and the meadows 

 and marshes are full of birds — don't quite smother 

 me. Dodo I Then in the cool of the afternoon we can 

 return and have a picnic supper at some pretty place 

 on the way, for to-morrow night the moon is full ! " 



'' Can Rap go with us — for he hardly ever gets down 

 to the shore ? ^' 



" Certainly ! " 



" How far is it ? " asked Nat. 



" About fifteen miles by the road, though not more 

 than ten in a straight line." 



" Are the birds different down there ? " 



" Some of them are ; there is a great colony of Black- 

 birds I want you to see, for our next family is a very 

 interesting one. It contains a harlequin, a tramp, a 

 soldier, a tent-maker, a hammock-maker, and a basket- 

 maker ; and we shall probably see them all, sooner or 

 later, but certainly one or two of them to-morrow. 



" No, I won't tell you a word about them now. But 

 go down and invite Rap, and tell him we will call for 

 him by half-past six o'clock in the morning, because we 

 must have time to drive slowly, stop where we please, 

 and use our eyes." 



