CHAPTER XX 



SOME SKY SWEEPERS 



About four o'clock, after a long rest, the party 

 started for home, because they wanted to have plenty 

 of time to stop in the wood lane on the way. 



The first bird that Nat spied after they left the 

 meadows was perching on the topmost wire of a fence 

 by the roadside. Every once in a while he darted into 

 the air, snapped up an insect, and returned to the same 

 perch on the wire whence he had started. He was a 

 very smart-looking bird, with a flaming crest that he 

 raised and lowered to suit himself ; and every time he 

 flew into the air he cried '' Kyrie — kyrie ! " 



" That is a Kingbird," said the Doctor ; " it is very 

 kind of him to show himself, for he is the bird I most 

 wished to see. We have finished with the true song 

 birds now, and the next order is that of the Songless 

 Perching Birds — birds that have call -notes, some of 

 them quite musical, but no true song. So we will name 

 them the Birds that only Croak and Call. 



'' The crowing of a Rooster, the screech of a Night 

 Owl, the Hawk's harsh scream, the laughing and ham- 

 mering of a Woodpecker, all answer the same good 

 purpose as a song. 



" The first family of Songless Perching Birds is that 

 of the Tyrant Flycatchers, and the first of these birds 



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