322 CITIZEN BIRD 



"Are there any Owls in these Avoods, Uncle Roy?" 

 asked Nat. " You know we haven't seen an Owl yet, 

 though we hear one almost every night." 



" Doubtless there are ; but the best place to find 

 Owls is in the old wood, far up by the lake, where 

 the lumbermen have their camp. The Great Horned 

 Owl nests there, and many Hawks besides. I will 

 take you all there some day, and, if you do not find 

 the birds themselves, you can see the wild places 

 where they like to nest." 



" Couldn't we go very soon, uncle ? Next week, 

 perhaps?" urged Dodo. 



" Fourth of July comes next week," said Nat, " and 

 uncle said we could go down to the shore again, and 

 take our fire-crackers ! It will be such fun to stick 

 them in rows in the sand and make them sizzle — 

 more fun even than Owls ! Don't you think so. 

 Dodo ? " he asked anxiously. 



" Oh, yes ; and then it wouldn't be polite either 

 not to have fire-crackers on the Fourth of July. I 

 think the American Eagle or the President or some- 

 body expects children to have fire-crackers. Mammy 

 Bun says the first American Eagle was hatched on 

 the Fourth of July, you know," said Dodo earnestly. 

 " Do you think he was, uncle ? " 



" No ; it was the United States that were hatched 

 on the Fourth of July, seventeen — seventy — six," 

 said Nat, hesitating a little over the date. 



"You are both right in a way," laughed the. Doctor ; 

 "but you need not give up the Owls in order to cele- 

 brate the Eagle's birthday. We will have an Eagle's 

 birthday party at the beach on the Fourth ; and on 



