GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS [Illustration] THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., Limited LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO [Illustration: BALTIMORE ORIOLE (Upper Figure, Male; Lower Figure, Female)] Order—Passeres Family—Icteridæ Genus—Icterus Species—Galbula GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS STORIES OF THE BIRD YEAR FOR HOME AND SCHOOL BY MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT PRESIDENT AUDUBON SOCIETY, STATE OF CONNECTICUT AUTHOR OF “CITIZEN BIRD,” “TOMMY ANNE,” ETC. _TWELVE COLOURED PLATES AND THIRTY-SIX FULL-PAGE_ _ILLUSTRATIONS IN HALF-TONE_ New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1914 _All rights reserved_ Copyright, 1907, By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1907. Reprinted March, 1909; April, 1910; April, 1914. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. To WILLIAM DUTCHER PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUDUBON SOCIETIES IN RECOGNITION OF HIS UNSELFISH DEVOTION TO THE CAUSE OF AMERICAN BIRD PROTECTION [Illustration: FEEDING THE ORPHANS] TO THE CHILDREN Greeting! Oh, sweet is the whitethroat’s lay, As the banners of dawn unfold! The lovable, quarrelsome wrens all day Peep and prattle and scold: Skulks a blue jay hiding his grain; Blinks an owl with the crows in train— Courtship merry and combat vain The eyes of the wise behold. * * * * * * And Nature spreads wide her book, In a temple fair and free,— To all who may listen she cries, “Come, look! Come and learn at my knee. Watch the change of the finch’s vest, Note how the highhole carves his nest,— Come with light foot and loving breast, And bury your ills with me!” —Dora Read Goodale. BE SURE THAT YOU SEE ARIGHT!