Music of the Wild 



green leaves, and unusually large pale lavender 

 flowers of much grace and beauty. 



The blooms are a trumpet-shaped corolla, with 

 two escallops turning up and three down. There 

 Beard- is a stamen, covered with long hairs, and fertilized 

 tongue b y tne p u en i t gathers from the down of visiting 

 butterflies and bees. From this organ the plant 

 takes its name, beard-tongue. Many people un- 

 acquainted with a natural growth gathered and 

 were enthusiastic over it at the height of a fence. 

 It was very beautiful bordering grain fields, no- 

 where more so than around the oats where this 

 study was made. 



While birds and insects hover over these old 

 snake-fences, the squirrels race along them and 

 frightened cotton-tails sail between the rails like 

 skilled acrobats. Rabbits burrow their nests in 

 grain fields and pastures, and beside the fences 

 under the cover of bottom rails and stumps of dead 

 trees. Close harvest time their young appear. 

 Mere youth and helplessness make its appeal. 

 The nestlings of song birds are ugly, naked little 

 creatures, blind, and agape. But again, some 

 ground builders the quail, rail, and many water 

 birds are able to travel on leaving their shells, and 

 are irresistible balls of fluff. Newly-born rabbits 

 and squirrels are blind and unattractive, but when 

 led forth to support themselves are beautiful and 

 trustingly innocent. A few days' contact with the 

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