THE BLACK PHCEBE. 



TS name is always Phoebe, old 

 or young, male or female. 

 And the bird named itself. 

 For fear we might forget, 

 and call it Susan, or Maggie, 

 or Mary, or Tom or Charles, 

 it keeps saying, "Phoebe," 

 over and over, the whole year. 



Each bird calls its mate Phoebe, and the par- 

 ents call all their young ones Phoebe; and they 

 all together cry " Phoebe " when they are hungry. 

 You hear it from the barn or house roof, from 

 low weed-stalks, from the top of the garden hy- 

 drant, from the wood-pile, anywhere from any 

 lookout point. The plaintive note comes from 

 the clothes-line, where the bird balances, tilting 

 up and down until it can 

 catch sight of that insect 

 again. 



People who are not 

 cheerful by nature do not 

 like the phoebe's note. 



REFERENCE TOPICS. 

 The honey industry. 

 Life-history of bees. 

 Social and solitary In- 

 sects. 

 Structure of stings. 



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