Music of the Wild 



green leaves, and unusually large pale lavender 

 flowers of much grace and beauty. 



The blooms are a trunipet-sliaped corolla, with 

 two escallojjs turning up and three down. Tliere 

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

 tongue 1^^, |-|^g pollen it gathers from the down of visiting 

 butterflies and bees. From this organ the plant 

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

 acquainted ■VA'ith a natural growth gathered and 

 Avere 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 j^astures, and beside the fences 

 under the cover of bottom rails and stumps of dead 

 trees. Close harvest time their young appear. 

 JNIere youth and helplessness make its appeal. 

 Tlie nestlings of song birds are ugly, naked little 

 creatiu-es. l)lin(l, and agape. But again, some 

 ground builders — the (]uail, rail, and many water 

 birds — are al)le to travel on leaving their shells, and 

 are irresistible halls of fluff. Newly-born rabbits 

 and squirrels are blind and unattractive, but when 

 led forth to suj^port themselves are beautiful and 

 trustingly innocent. A few days' contact with the 



210 



