134 What Birds Have Done With Me 



walk brought in his hand the dead body of a 

 small bird, looking strangely like a Canary. His 

 three children gathered around him and he ex- 

 plained to them that it was an American Gold- 

 finch and not a Canary, though sometimes called 

 one. Instantly the children lost interest when 

 they found out that it was not a Canary and they 

 were hunting up their playthings ; and it is doubt- 

 ful if they heard him as he went on to tell them 

 that the dead bird belonged to the family of Frin- 

 gillidae and its correct name was Spinus tristis. 

 Certain it is, that Spinus tristis had had no place 

 in their affectionate little hearts. Finding that 

 the children had no further interest in his find of 

 the morning, the Professor tossed the dead bird 

 out of the window, as a breakfast for the family 

 cat. Just at that instant his wife came flying into 

 the room with a bird-cage in her hand, u Oh, 

 John, Dicky is dead," she cried. Toys are dis- 

 carded and every child takes up the wail, "Dicky 

 is dead" and it is a tender husband and father 

 whose own eyes are misty as he attempts to com- 

 fort his weeping family. Later on, he makes the 

 little coffin and he and his wife stand at an upper 

 window while the children conduct funeral serv- 

 ices in the garden below. 



There is a stern pressure of the clasping hands 

 of the parents when Baby comes to make the 

 prayer. He is actually kneeling by the open grave 



