266 CITIZEN BIRD 



As soon as they drove out of the wood, the smell of 

 the salt marsh came to them, and the}" saw that the 

 road led between low meadows, with Avooded knolls 

 here and there. V>y and by the trees grew thinner 

 and the grass coarser. 



" Oh, I see the water ! " cried Dodo, " and the little 

 house where Ave are going ! Oh, look at tlie black 

 birds flying over those bnshes ! Are those Cowbirds 

 too ? And there are more black birds, very big ones 

 too, going over to the Avater, and more 3'et coming out 

 of tliose stumpy little pines, and there are some yelloAV 

 pigeons doAvn in the grass ! Do stop quick, Olive ! 

 I think there is going to be a bird clambake or a picnic 

 doAvn here ! " And Dodo nearly fell out of the surrey 

 in her excitement. 



" Not exactly a picnic," said the Doctor, " but AAdiat 

 I haA'e brought you purposely to see. The birds fly- 

 ing over the alders are Red-Avinged Blackbirds ; those 

 coming from the pines are Purple Grackles ; the big 

 black ones flying overhead are CroAVS ; and the yelloA\'- 

 breasted fellows Avalking in the grass are MeadoAvlarks. 

 AVe must first make the horses comfortable, and then 

 Ave can spend the day Avith the birds among these 

 marshes and meadoAvs." 



When they reached the beach the Avagon track led 

 throuofh a hedo-e of barberry bushes to a shed covered 

 Avith pine boughs at the back of the hsherman's house. 



The fisherman himself came out to help them Avith 

 the horses. He Avas a Finlander, Olaf Neilsen, Avho 

 kept boats in summer, fished, and tended two buoy 

 lisrhts at the river entrance for a livino-. His hut stood 

 on a point, Avith the sandy beach of the bay in front of 



