ABOUT THE SONGSTERS. 



New NeiG'HBORS, — " I see they are 

 building a two-story house in our 

 back yard," said papa. 



"O papa, that won't be nice ! " said 

 Marjorie. " People will look right 

 into our windows ! " 



"Yes," said papa; "one of the 

 builders was sitting on my window- 

 sill this morning ; but when he saw 

 me he flew away." 



" Oh, you mean a bird ! " cried Nan. 



Blue-Jay on a Spree. — " Naw, sir, 

 I ran him down. He's drunk on 

 madberry. I didn't shoot him," so 

 said our little stable-boy, John Henry. 

 We examined the beautiful Blue-jay. 



It was lying in the boy's hand, 

 with a sort of contented dolce far niejite 

 expression on its face. Its saucy eyes 

 were elated and fearless. Its head 

 wagged ridiculously in the effort to 

 hold it up. It was a common North 

 American drunk, nothing less. The 

 bird was intoxicated on the berries of 

 the Pride of China, known throughout 

 the south as the poison or mad-berry. 



In Florida thousands of respectable 

 Northern Robins, that would blush to 

 do it at home, are found lying about 

 in the state of grossest drunkenness 

 from the same cause. We wondered 

 if some blue-ribbon society might not 

 be profitably started among these poor 

 birds. But they do not know any 

 better. 



We have this advantage over them, 

 we know the mad-berry when we see 

 it. It is to our disgrace if we do not 

 let it alone. 



Serves as Watchman and Wakes 

 THE Family. — A Mocking Bird serves 

 as a night watchman at the residence 

 of R. F. Bettes, at Tampa, Fla., and 

 notifies the family of the coming of 

 dawn every morning by pecking on 

 the window pane. Often when the 



doors are left ajar the Mocking Bird 

 comes inside and perches on the chairs 

 and about the room. It will allow the 

 family to come very close and shows 

 marked attention to Mrs. Bettes and 

 her little daughter. When they .start 

 out for a visit it follows them some 

 distance, and then returns to the yard. 

 When the family returns it appears 

 very glad and will fly all about them, 

 and gives evidence of its joy in other 

 ways. The children feed it about the 

 house, and when the family meal is to 

 be served, if the window is not raised, 

 it makes its presence known by peck- 

 ing on the window. During the day 

 it gets on a neighboring brush or tree 

 and sings its roundelay of song for 

 hours at a time. 



A Wonderful Canary. — Mrs, 

 Willet C. Durland, of Union Hall 

 street, Jamaica, is the owner of a 

 Canary possessing extraordinary vocal 

 powers. It never tires of singing, and 

 was the admiration of all who heard it, 

 until eight months ago, when it 

 suddenly, and for no apparent reason, 

 became absolutely silent, uttering 

 scarely a chirrup for days at a time. 

 Mrs. Durland at last tired of keeping 

 a Canary that did not sing, and, finding 

 a young Chippie bird on the lawn, one 

 day, she put it in the cage and let the 

 Canary go. About sundown that 

 evening, the Canary returned and 

 hopped ' about on the window sill, 

 evidently making a plea to be received 

 back into the family. This was too 

 much for Mrs. Durland. She put the 

 little creature back in its cage, and 

 the next morning the household was 

 awakened by a flood of joyous song. 

 The Canary has been singing ever 

 since, and the Durlands are sure it 

 considers being set free a punishment 

 for its long silence, and is now trying 

 to make amends. 



