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 colored 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-colored 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.