. Birds and nature . nks it would impart. When lo! a burst of melody, surprised his wondering ear; Twas such a song as none on earth before that day could hear. And then it was revealed to him, he held the gift of song; Old sparrow-hawk had loosed his tongue, nor could he eer belong To any bird, for he could sing. Oh happy was the day That all the woodland echoed back, that first sweet roundelay! But when the birds, sparrow and all, his worth did realize, Each wished him for his own, all coveted the prize. While sparrow-hawk cried He is mine and I will have my own! The owl arose with dignity,
. Birds and nature . nks it would impart. When lo! a burst of melody, surprised his wondering ear; Twas such a song as none on earth before that day could hear. And then it was revealed to him, he held the gift of song; Old sparrow-hawk had loosed his tongue, nor could he eer belong To any bird, for he could sing. Oh happy was the day That all the woodland echoed back, that first sweet roundelay! But when the birds, sparrow and all, his worth did realize, Each wished him for his own, all coveted the prize. While sparrow-hawk cried He is mine and I will have my own! The owl arose with dignity, his mandate to make known. My friends of feathers, may I state as I have done before That one who sings belongs to none, he is a slave no more. One who surpasses all his kind in patience, heart and skill. Should be our king instead of slave, and we should do his will. Henceforth to show our deep respect and love, all in a word, Well hold our tongues wheneer we hear, the voice of Mockingbird. —Edith Drury THE LEAST BITTERN {Ardetta exilis. , Among our water and marsh birds being stretched out behind it and itsscarcely one is of greater interest than neck doubled back upon its back. Likethe saucy little Least Bittern. With his the rail it endeavors to hide among thesmall, mottled body and big neck he sedges and rushes when danger is near,looks at you from among a distant and the color and shape of its body aidsclump of cattails, as though asking what not a little in protecting it, by causingright you had to disturb him in his quiet it to become inconspicuous among theand secluded nook. His constant com- dead and dried leaves and stalks of thepanions are the red-winged blackbirds previous years growth of vegetation,and the marsh wrens, and occasionally The Least Bittern builds its nest inthe long-legged rails. Indeed, so close- secluded spots on the borders of pondsly does this bird resemble the rail in and lakes where the rushes, sedges andsize and general color, th
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