Joy yay Oe Bei iy 8 by 
BIRDS 
CHAPTER I 
— =e Why Beautiful Birds 
[SSS are Killed 
WHAT beautiful things birds are! Can you think 
of any other creatures that are quite so beautiful ? 
I know you will say “ Butterflies,” and perhaps it 7s 
a race between the birds and the butterflies, but I 
think the birds win it even here in England. Just 
think of the Kingfisher, that bird that is like a little 
live chip of the blue sky, flying about all by itself, 
and doing just what it likes. The Sky-blue Butter- 
fly is like that too, I know, but then it is a much 
smaller chip, and does not shine in the sun in such a 
wonderful way as the Kingfisher does. Neither, I 
think, does the Peacock-Butterfly, or the Red Admiral, 
or the Painted Lady, or the Greater or Lesser Tortoise- 
shell; and, besides, they none of them go so fast. 
Yes, all those butterflies are beautiful, very, very 
beautiful. But now, supposing they were all flying 
A 
