BIRDS AT WORK AND PLAY. 83 
We did not care if he did choose to live in our yard, 
for we knew very well his lazy habit of sleeping all 
day. When he woke up at night we knew the little 
birds would all be in bed. He was welcome to the 
mice and the crickets and June bugs. 
We are not fond of owls. It is dismal to hear their 
“too-hoo, too-hoo,” as they try to sing. We are glad 
that they try, for even a poor song is better than no 
song at all. Owls cannot sing any better than turkeys. 
In fact, we prefer turkeys to owls for music. Don’t 
you? 
CHAPTER XVIf-. 
BIRDS AT WORK AND PLAY. 
It sounds very strange to speak of a bird at play. 
But you can see that birds do play, if you will give 
yourself the pleasure of watching them. They run 
along under the hedges and fences at hide-and-seek. 
They will stop suddenly and scold at one another for 
> 
not playing “fair”; and they actually play at leap-frog, 
hopping over one another’s backs, never once using 
their hands. 
Sometimes they play “tag” high up in the air, espe- 
cially the humming-birds and others of swift wing. 
You can see them playing when they are so high that 
they look like bumble-bees. Then perhaps they fly out 
-of sight in the blue of the sky. 
