30 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
Portage, Wis. 
Dear Wayside: 
The bird season is nearly over, so I am go¬ 
me to write about two swallows that built 
their nest in our barn about two months ago. 
It took them about a week to build the nest, 
which was built chiefly of mud and sticks and 
lined with feathers so as to be soft for the lit¬ 
tle birds. 
I think swallows the wisest birds there are. 
After the nest was made the female bird laid 
six small speckled eggs, and after about two 
weeks there were six little swallows in the 
nest. 
I used to climb up sometimes to see it, but 
the birds set up such a cry, and nearly flew in 
my face, I had to get down. 
One day when I was in the barn the old bird 
got so frightened at me that she flew into a 
beam, but she did not get much hurt, only 
frightened. 
Sometimes 1 would put food up near their 
nest, but they never took any, I guess they 
were afraid. 
I hope they will come again next year. 
Mae McIntyre. 
Aged 12. 
Deer Park, Wis., April 28. 
Dear Wayside: 
One day when I was coming to school with 
my teacher I heard a bird singing. I asked 
her what it Avas. She said it Avas a song spar- 
roAv. It had a black spot under its neck, a 
gray breast and a broAvnish gray back striped 
Avith black. I have seen a lot of song spar- 
roAVS this spring and I have only heard tAVO 
sing the same song, but it might liaA^e been the 
same one I saAv the day before. I haven’t seen 
a song sparrow’s nest that I can remember. 
I might haA'e seen one, but did not know Avhat 
- kind of bird’s nest it Avas. 
One day AA T hen tAvo of our schoolmates Avere 
coming to school they saAv a slate colored junco 
hopping on the ground. They ran and picked 
it up. It opened its mouth and Avanted some¬ 
thing to eat. They gave it some of their 
bread. It Avas aAvful hungry and ate all they 
gave it. They brought it to our school and 
put it in the Avaste basket with sticks across 
for perches. Tt had that for a cage the first 
day. That evening our teacher let it out so 
it could run around the school room and so it 
could get fresh air. But when Ave came back 
in the morning Ave couldn’t catch it. It ran 
up one aisle and down the other so Ave let it 
run around the Avay it Avanted to. We thought 
it would die at first but uoav Ave let it run 
around the school room. I think it got hurt 
by flying against the Avire fence because it 
had a hole in its breast and a broken wing. 
The Avingf hangs on the floor when it runs. It 
runs up the aisles and under the book case, 
but when Ave come near the book case it Avill 
run away. When it gets a chance it Avill run 
and sit on the rungs of the teacher’s chair. 
One day A\ r hen the door Avas left open the 
bird got out into the hall then there Avas a 
chase, tAvo or three Avent out into the hall and 
got it in again, before it got doAvn stairs. One 
morning Avhen Ave came in, the junco Avas sit¬ 
ting on the basket. It jumped down and ran 
over to the teacher’s chair and then back to 
the basket and began to chirp. There are 
perches on the basket and Avhen it gets there 
it thinks it is at home. It seemed to be very 
happy Avhen Ave came back Monday morning. 
It stayed here Saturday and Sunday alone and 
I suppose it Avas lonesome for being here alone 
so long. It has a whitish gray breast and is 
black on its head and shoulders and slate col¬ 
ored all over the rest of its body. There are 
white feathers in the side of the tail. It is 
very happy and I think it Avill learn to fly. 
Tt can flv as high as the desk iioav. We haA’e 
had it ten days now. I am in the Sixth grade. 
Your friend, 
Aged 12. Ruth Larson. 
o 
Austin, June 13, 1904. 
Dear Wayside: 
I thought I would Avrite to you about the 
experience Ave had. 
Tavo summers ago mamma threAV a few 
pair of shoe strings out on the back porch. 
I happened to be looking out of the Avindow 
and a feAV seconds later I saAv a bird come and 
sit on the porch. Then he got one shoe string 
and carried it away. 
The next time I saw him coming I got in 
back of the curtain, because I kneAV if he saAv 
me he Avould fly away. He came back tAvo 
more times and each time he came he took 
one shoe-string. Later on I Avent out to see 
if I could not find the rest, but I could not. 
I Avent in the house and did not think about 
