

E-text prepared by Margaret Macaskill and Project Gutenberg Distributed
Proofreaders



Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
      file which includes the original illustrations.
      See 11896-h.htm or 11896-h.zip:
      (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/1/1/8/9/11896/11896-h/11896-h.htm)
      or
      (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/1/1/8/9/11896/11896-h.zip)





CITIZEN BIRD

Scenes from Bird-Life in Plain English for Beginners

BY

MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT AND ELLIOTT COUES

With One Hundred and Eleven Illustrations by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

1897






[Illustration: Long-eared owl.]




  TO ALL BOYS AND GIRLS
  WHO LOVE BIRDS
  AND WISH TO PROTECT THEM

  THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
  BY THE AUTHORS




  _SCENE_:
  THE ORCHARD FARM.

  _TIME_:
  FROM SPRING TO AUTUMN.

  _CHARACTERS_:
  DR. ROY HUNTER, a naturalist.
  OLIVE, the Doctor's daughter.
  NAT and DODO, the Doctor's nephew and niece.
  RAP, a country boy.
  MAMMY BUN, an old  nurse.
  OLAF, a fisherman.




  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER I
  OVERTURE BY THE BIRDS

  CHAPTER II
  THE DOCTOR'S WONDER ROOM

  CHAPTER III
  A SPARROW SETTLES THE QUESTION

  CHAPTER IV
  THE BUILDING OF A BIRD

  CHAPTER V
  CITIZEN BIRD

  CHAPTER VI
  THE BIRD AS A TRAVELLER

  CHAPTER VII
  THE BIRD'S NEST

  CHAPTER VIII
  BEGINNING OF THE BIRD STORIES

  CHAPTER IX
  A SILVER-TONGUED FAMILY
    Bluebird--Robin--Wood Thrush--Wilson's Thrush--Hermit
    Thrush--Olive-backed Thrush.

  CHAPTER X
  PEEPERS AND CREEPERS
    Golden-crowned Kinglet--White-breasted
    Nuthatch--Chickadee--Brown Creeper.

  CHAPTER XI
  MOCKERS AND SCOLDERS
    Sage Thrasher--Mockingbird--Catbird--Brown
    Thrasher--Rock Wren--House Wren--Long-billed Marsh Wren.

  CHAPTER XII
  WOODLAND WARBLERS
    Black-and-white Warbler--Yellow Warbler--Yellow-rumped
    Warbler--Ovenbird--Maryland Yellow-throat--Yellow-breasted
    Chat--American Redstart.

  CHAPTER XIII
  AROUND THE OLD BARN
    Red-eyed Vireo--Great Northern Shrike--Cedar Waxwing.

  CHAPTER XIV
  THE SWALLOWS
    Purple Martin--Barn Swallow--Tree Swallow--Bank
    Swallow.

  CHAPTER XV
  A BRILLIANT PAIR
    Scarlet Tanager--Louisiana Tanager.

  CHAPTER XVI
  A TRIBE OF WEED WARRIORS
    Pine Grosbeak--American Crossbill--American
    Goldfinch--Snowflake--Vesper Sparrow--White-throated
    Sparrow--Chipping Sparrow--Slate- Junco--Song
    Sparrow--Towhee--Cardinal--Rose-breasted Grosbeak--Indigo
    Bird.

  CHAPTER XVII
  A MIDSUMMER EXCURSION
    Bobolink--Orchard Oriole--Baltimore
    Oriole--Cowbird--Red-winged Blackbird--Purple
    Grackle--Meadowlark.

  CHAPTER XVIII
  CROWS AND THEIR COUSINS
    American Crow--Blue Jay.

  CHAPTER XIX
  A FEATHERED FISHERMAN
    The Osprey.

  CHAPTER XX
  SOME SKY SWEEPERS
    Kingbird--Phoebe--Wood Pewee.

  CHAPTER XXI
  HUMMERS AND CHIMNEY SWEEPS
    Ruby-throated Hummingbird--Chimney Swift.

  CHAPTER XXII
  TWO WINGED MYSTERIES
    Nighthawk--Whip-poor-will.

  CHAPTER XXIII
  A LAUGHING FAMILY
    Downy Woodpecker--Red-headed
    Woodpecker--Flicker--Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

  CHAPTER XXIV
  TWO ODD FELLOWS
    Kingfisher--Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

  CHAPTER XXV
  CANNIBALS IN COURT
    Bald Eagle--Golden Eagle--Screech Owl--Long-eared
    Owl--Snowy Owl--Great Horned Owl--Marsh Hawk--Sharp-shinned
    Hawk--Red-shouldered Hawk--Sparrow Hawk.

  CHAPTER XXVI
  A COOING PAIR
    Passenger Pigeon--Mourning Dove.

  CHAPTER XX