red-wing blackbird, de wood-duck, tu beau’ful futto kill; how lubly de males is ’long side de females. Den ergin, pursidder de roostus; don’ matter ef’n dey shankhy, banty, game, er what not, dey’r boun’ ter hab lubly feathers all streaked an’ striped same ez dem cattle dat Jacob, de father ub de Petracks, owned. Mo’n dat, ef’n two roostus fight, de one dat whups jes’ crows, flaps his wings, an’ heah cums his wives an’ de udder roostah’s wives all runnin’ off wid him. Dat’s jes’ de way de ladies ’roun’ heah runs arfter Mars Pinckney.” Ezra seemed much pleased with his talk, and with a wisp of burning grass in each hand, continued to fire the marsh, and for the moment forgot my presence and sang: “We cum ter dis worl’ bof naked an’ bare, We al’ays goes thoo it wid sorrow an’ care; We go when we die de Lawd only nose wha’; Ef’n you’r uh thurrybred heah, yo’ll be uh thurrybred da.” Pretending to entirely dissent with Ezra and to keep him interested and talkative, I said, “Well, how about robins, doves, mocking birds, jack snipe, woodcock and other birds where the male and female are alike?” “Well, boss, Mars Pinckney say ef’n you gib de birds you kyant tell erbout uh wumm, ef’n _he_ takes it hit’s uh he, an ef’n _she_ takes it hit’s uh she.” “How about owls, Ezra; they look alike, and they don’t eat worms?” “Well, Noahy, dey tell me, name him de bird ub wissum, an’ ub cose made him wise, an’ de female kyant fool him, _like dey mos’ gen’ly kin de males_. Fuh instinct, when de female owls think deahsebs smart—bin out all night an’ talkin’ in condidence ’mong deahsebs erbout it—de male, ef’n he deceitful (_an’ some males is_), kin lissen an’ nod his haid jes’ same ez ef he wuz uh sleep an’ meck bleebe he uh lady owl, an by an’ by all unbenonsted ter de lady owl, fine out ef’n his wife bin uh tootin’ an’ uh hootin’ erroun’. Mo’n dat, he mout erbin keepin’ comp’ny hissef all night wid some sassy lady owl. _Dar’s wha his wissum cum in._