Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. BIRD STORIES [Illustration: _Chick, D.D. in his pulpit._] _LITTLE GATEWAYS TO SCIENCE_ BIRD STORIES BY EDITH M. PATCH WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ROBERT J. SIM [Illustration] BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1926 Copyright, 1921, by THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS First Impression, May, 1921 Second Impression, May, 1922 Third Impression, March, 1926 THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS PUBLICATIONS ARE PUBLISHED BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY COMPANY _Printed in the United States of America_ TO JUNIOR AUDUBON CLASSES AND TO ALL OTHER BOYS AND GIRLS THROUGHOUT THE LAND WHO ARE FRIENDLY TO BIRDS ACKNOWLEDGMENT For help in planning this book, for sharing his bird-notes with the writer, and for a critical reading of the manuscript, acknowledgment should be made to Mr. Robert J. Sim. Certain events in the lives of Eve and Petro and little Solomon Otus are told with reference to his observations of eave-swallows and screech owls; his trip to an island off the Maine coast for gull-sketches added greatly to an acquaintance with Larie; and but for his six-weeks' visit with the loons of "Immer Lake," much of the story of Gavia could not have been told. Since Mr. Sim contributed not only the pictures to the book, but many items of interest to the narrative, it gives the writer pleasure to acknowledge his cooperation, both as artist and as field-naturalist. EDITH M. PATCH CONTENTS I. CHICK, D.D. 1 II. THE FIVE WORLDS OF LARIE 18 III. PETER PIPER 33 IV. GAVIA OF IMMER LAKE 49 V. EVE AND PETRO 66 VI. UNCLE SAM 86 VII. CORBIE 100 VIII. ARDEA'S SOLDIER 121 IX. THE FLYING CLOWN 133 X. THE LOST DOVE 150 XI. LITTLE SOLOMON OTUS 163 XII. BOB, THE VAGABOND 180 NOTES CONSERVATION 198 NOTES TO THE STORIES 199 A BOOK LIST 208 ILLUSTRATIONS _Chick, D.D. in his pulpit_ _Frontispiece_ _Firs that pointed to the sky_ 2 _"Woodland Music after an Ice-Storm"_ 4 _Birds, too, that had lived in rough winds_ 25 _Floated beside him in the sea another gull, to whom he talked pleasantly_ 28 _After Larie found a clam, he would fly high into the air and then drop it_ 30 _It was not for food alone that Larie and his mate lived that spring_ 31 _One was named Peter, for his father_ 34 _The spot she teetered to most of all_ 43 _Dallying happily along the river-edge_ 47 _Immer Lake_ 51