FRIENDS IN FEATHERS 



"A lot of little fine stuff /" That meant Warblers, Finches, 

 V'ireos and Sparrows. 



"And the prettiest thing in the lot," said Bob, "the one you 

 must photograph first, is the nest of a common old Cat-bird. 

 I never saw anything prettier in the nest line." 



That same day I began a series of drives to Bob's lease that 

 continued every fair day throughout the season. The trip was a 

 delight. The way lay across the levee east of the village, where 

 every attraction of wood life was to be found growing in a tangle, 

 while a babel of bird-song swelled early and late, led always by 

 the Bell Bird I had pictured a few days before, which I now 

 claimed as my especial property. After crossing the bridge, the 

 green line of the river, decorated with the white bloom of haw- 

 thorn and wild plum, lay always in sight. At Bob's lease a sud- 

 den curve brought the water to the road, then swept it away again 

 leaving a pressing invitation to all and sundry to follow to 

 learn from the Wabash itself why people wrote poems and sang 

 songs about it. 



The lease lay on both sides of the road. On the right as you 

 approached was the Aspy farm, where the Bobolink strutted the 

 rod-line; adjoining it on the same side was Stanley's where the 

 Shrikes homed in the oak, Kingbirds in the orchard and Larks 

 in the meadow. 



On the left lay a strip of high, grassy, wooded pasture, cut 

 into curves by the river, on the near bank of w r hich was the power 

 house. Below the house and oil-tanks was a grassy old orchard 

 running down to the water. Across the river was a deep wood, with 

 large pools frequented by Bittern and Heron; tangles of under- 

 brush, and forest trees of the height and size selected by Hawks and 

 Crows. Where could be found another such Paradise for birds? 



Bob did have forty nests located, while he had not worked 

 very long to do it. That day was spent in taking an inventory 



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