90 CITIZEN BIRD 



IV. The Birds that Coo and Scratch. 

 V. The Birds that Wade and Paddle. 



VI. The Birds that Swim and Dive." 



Squeak, squeak, went three pencils, two going fast 

 and one toiling along as if it was lame and needed 

 sharpening. 



"Please, uncle, what birds are cannibals?" asked 

 Dodo, as she finished writing this last word slowly, 

 taking great pains. " I thought cannibals were people 

 that ate each other." 



" Well, my dear, so they are ; and cannibal birds are 

 those who sometimes eat each other." 



"If you please. Doctor, which of the birds that sing 

 will you begin with?" asked Rap. "I wonder if Ave 

 can guess it." 



"You may all try," said the Doctor. "It is a bird 

 that every one loves — the home bird who is so fond 

 of House People that whenever we see one, we know 

 that there is a house not far away." 



" Then it must be the Bluebird ! " cried Rap. 



" You are right," said the Doctor; "and if you Avill 

 come here by the window you can watch a pair who are 

 flying in and out of the bird house, on top of the wood- 

 shed. Do you hear? Bluebirds have a call-note and 

 a sweet warbling song. As I have told you before, all 

 birds have some note or sound that they use to attract 

 attention or call their mates ; but it is only those whose 

 voices are so highly developed that they can make really 

 continuous musical sounds, that are called song birds. 



" The male is the only real singer in Birdland. 

 Many females have pretty musical notes that they 

 give when about the nest, and some scra[)s of song ; 



