304 CITIZEN BIRD 



birds, but lengthwise, so that House People and cat;^ 

 cannot see him from below or cannibal birds from above. 

 He is an insect-eater and so goes southward before hard 

 frosts." 



" Does this bird make an}^ noise, and Avhy is he called 

 the Whip-poor-will?" asked Nat; "that is such a 

 funny name." 



Rap was about to answer when the Doctor signed 

 to him and he stopped. 



'' Whip-poor-wills call their own name after dark, 

 and I tliink yuu Avill liear tliem wlicn we pass the mill- 

 er's woods in a few minutes; for some reason they 

 seldom come about the Farm." 



" I believe I — am — growing — sleepy," murmured 

 Dodo, trying to be polite and swallow a little yawn, 

 but not wholly succeeding. 



" I am very sure that / am," said Olive. " I don't 

 think any of us will sit u[) mucli later than the birds 

 to-night ] " 



"I hear a Veery," said Rap, ''and a Phoebe too." 



" Wliip-poor-will ! Whip-poor-will ! Churk ! " cried 

 a loud voice close by, and something like a long- winged 

 Owl almost struck Olive with its wing as it flitted 

 past. 



" Oh, my ! " cried Dodo, waking suddenly, " that must 

 be a Whip-poor-w411, for he called his own name as plain 

 as the Chickadee does ; and listen ! there are more of 

 them all up the hill." 



Soon they passed Rap's house and left him at the 

 gate. When the good old white horses trotted in the 

 gate at Orchard Farm, Quick ran out, barking joyfully 

 to tell them all that had happened during the day, and 



