THE NONPAREIL. 



I am called the Nonpareil be- 

 cause there is no other bird 

 equal to me. 



I have many names. Some call 

 me the ''Painted Finch" or 

 'Tainted Bunting." Others call 

 me " The Pope," because I wear 

 a purple hood. 



I live in a cage, eat seeds, and 

 am very fond of flies and spi- 

 ders. 



Sometimes they let me out of 

 the cage and I fly about the 

 room and catch flies. I like to 

 catch them while they are fly- 

 ing:. 



When I am tired I stop and 

 sing. There is a vase of flowers 

 in front of the mirror. 



I fly to this vase where I can 

 see myself in the glass. Then 

 I sing as loud as I can. They 

 like to hear me sing. 



I take a bath every day and 

 how I do make the water fly! 



I used to live in the woods 

 where there were many birds 

 like me. We build our nests in 

 bushes, hedges, and low trees. 

 How happy we were. 



My cage is pretty but I wish 

 I could go back to my home in 

 the woods. 



See page 15. 



. WEET warblers of the sunny hours, 

 ) Forever on the wing, 

 I love thee as I love the flowers. 

 The sunlight and the spring. 



They come like pleasant memories 



In summer's joyous time, 

 And sing their gushing melodies. 



As I would sing a rhyme. 



In the green and quiet places. 

 Where the golden sunlight falls. 



We sit with smiling faces 

 To list their silver calls. 



And when their holy anthems 

 Come pealing through the air. 



Our hearts leap forth to meet them 

 with a blessing and a prayer. 



Amid the morning's fragrant dew. 



Amid the mists of even, 

 They warble on as if they drew 



Their music down from heaven. 



How sweetly sounds each mellow note 

 Beneath the moon's pale ray. 



When dying zephyrs rise and float 

 Like lovers' sighs away ! " 



