824 



STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



CljB Ipnrrnm. 



N the days of my boyhood, I one 

 1 1 : day found a sparrow's nest, when I 

 was walking in the meadow with 

 my little sister. There were four 

 little sparrows in the nest, too young to 

 be able to fly. The old birds left the 

 nest as we approached, and hovered around, 

 not far off, showing a great deal of love for 

 their offspring, and evidently not a little afraid 

 that they were soon to be left childless. Both 

 my sister and myself looked upon this scene 

 for some minutes with a great deal of interest. 

 We examined the nest, and admired the skill 

 and ingenuity which the birds had displayed 

 in building it. How nicely it was braided 

 together. There were coarse straws and sticks 

 on the outside of it, and on the inside there 

 were fine hairs, and little bits of cotton, and 



