ABOUT THE SONGSTERS. 
New Neighbors.—" 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 niente 
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. 
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