2i6 Bird - Lore 



with it, selecting such as will give the greatest diversity, for it will be 

 recalled the summer and winter ranges of some birds are identical, others 

 overlap, while still others are many thousands of miles apart. 



The geography lesson should not be complete when the ranges have 

 been located on the map, but an endeavor should be made to bring out 

 what the particular bird saw on its journeys in the lands which it traversed. 

 If it were written up in story form it could be used as a language lesson as 

 well, and certainly it would make a splendid review of geography. Let the 

 bird tell where it has been and what it has seen, or let several birds discuss 

 their travels. I hope that some of the best children's stories will be sent to 

 the School Department of Bird-Lore and, if space permits, the best one 

 will be printed. 



For the benefit of those who like to have something definite for the 

 children to work from, the Editor offers the following little story of a 

 Yellow Warbler as one type that may be followed, though it might be even 

 more satisfactory to have several birds discuss their winter wanderings. 



THE YELLOW WARBLER'S TALE 



"Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweeter, sweetest" he seems to say to me as he 

 lands on the topmost bough of my pear tree and throws back his head in 

 song. It is my old friend the Summer Yellowbird back from his long 

 winter's absence and ready to take up his abode with me another year. 



"What is so sweet, my good fellow?" I feel like asking him, and "How 

 can you be so fresh and happy after your long trip? Tell me where you 

 have been and what you have seen since we last met. I am just as inter- 

 ested in you and your journeys as I am in any of my other friends who 

 travel." 



"Oh, the whole world is sweet" he replies. "I love it all, but most of 

 all this place I call home, and particularly that syringa bush where my 

 mate and I have built our nest the past two years. Oh, but it's a big world 

 and a bad world, but I love it just the same. I don't suppose I have seen 

 it all, but I know I have seen a great deal and I have flown over a great 

 deal more of it without seeing it, for you know I make my longest flights 

 after dark. Where have I been since last we met? Let's see, that was last 

 August, wasn't it? The one youngster we managed to raise from those 

 four eggs in the syringa bush had left us for exploring expeditions of his 

 own. I don't suppose I will ever see him again or recognize him if I do, 

 though maybe he will be coming along here in a couple of weeks and I will 

 have to drive him away like any other intruder. You know the youngsters 

 always come north later than we old birds, and then if anything happens 

 to us on the way they can step into the places that we have already dis- 

 covered to be satisfactory for our kind of needs and the good places in the 



