Length two and a half to three feet, with a long neck like a Goose"s, and a stout straight black bill, very sharp-pointed.
Plumage glossy black above, with a necklace of white streaks and many square white spots on the back; under parts white from the root of the neck backwards, but the sides of the breast streaky.
Young ones are speckled gray and white, without any glossy black, and the bill is not black.
A Citizen of North America, who nests in the far North and migrates into the United States for the winter.
A famous Sea Sweeper, who can catch fish by chasing them under water. He can dive like a flash and fly more than a hundred yards under water before coming up to breathe, but is very awkward and top-heavy on land because his legs are so far back that he has to stand up on end. His nest is on the ground and his flesh is not fit to eat, being too rank and fishy. You can hear his mournful cry a mile off.
The Pied-billed Grebe, Dabchick, or Water Witch
Length thirteen inches.
Upper parts brownish-black. Breast and belly white, very smooth like satin. A black mark on the throat, and a black band on the bill, which is shaped like a Hen"s. Feathers on top of the head bristly.
Feet very strange: they stick out far behind, because Grebes have no tail to be seen, and the toes are different from those of any other bird you have in your tables, being scalloped with flaps of skin instead of webbed like those of most Swimming Birds.
A Citizen of North America, whose nest is a wet bed of broken-down reeds, sometimes floating on the water of the marsh. He can dive and swim under water as well as a Loon. If you could catch one alive, he would make his flapper-like feet go so fast you could not see anything of them but a hazy film, as the Hummingbird does his wings when he poises in front of a flower.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Pied-Billed Grebe.]
CHAPTER x.x.xII
CHORUS BY THE BIRDS
Swallows were perching on the same telegraph wires where they had met in May. Now it was September. There were Swallows of all kinds, both old and young, with whom a great many other birds stopped for a little chat.
"In a few weeks we must be off--how have you enjoyed the summer?" asked the Bank Swallow of his sharp-tailed brother from the barn.
"Excellently well! Times have changed for the better; not a single cat or rat has been seen in my hayloft all the season, and the window has been always open."
"So you have changed your mind about House People?" said the Bank Swallow slyly.
"Yes--that is, about _some_ House People."
"I wish so many of the Bird Brotherhood did not leave in the winter; it makes me quite sad," murmured the Bluebird.
"Yes. Stay-at-homes, like yourself and Robins and Finches, must feel very lonely without us," said Barney kindly; "but I think likely these House People will scatter food about, so that at least you will not be hungry--that is, unless they migrate too, as the Catbird says they sometimes do." "Dear, dear! _Think_ of it, _think_ of it!" warbled the Bluebird.
"Zeay! zeay!" screamed the Catbird, flying up. "N-e-w-s! N-e-w-s! The House People are to stay at our farm all winter! The man who owns this farm, the big girl, and the little girl and boy--and the mother and father bird they belong to--they are all down in the orchard, talking about it now--how they are going to something they call "school," over in the village, and how that boy who hops along on one leg with a stick under his wing is going with them."
"Did they say anything about the Bird Brotherhood?"
"No, but I heard them say that when the snow falls they are going up to those horrid dark Owl woods to see the foxes and little fur beasts--"Four-footed Americans" our House Man calls them."
"He gave me a better name than that," said the Barn Swallow, "one day when he was telling the children about the Brotherhood, over in the old barn. He looked straight at me and said a whole tree full of nice things."
"What did he call you? What did he say about the Brotherhood?" asked all the others, crowding around Barney.
"He said that I swept the sky free of evil insects, that I was patriotic in coming back to my birthplace to nest, and that I worked to pay my rent and taxes, and--"
"And what?" cried the others in excitement.
"He called me "Citizen Bird"! He said _all_ well-behaved birds, who have their own nests, and belong to the guilds of the Brotherhood, are American Citizens and should be protected!"
"How badly the Cowbirds must feel!" said the chorus.
"Hip, hip, hurrah! for Citizen Bird and friendly House People!" drummed the Downy Woodp.e.c.k.e.r, beating away for dear life on a telegraph pole.
Then all the Swallows and Flycatchers began to dash about the air, whispering "Citizen Bird! Citizen Bird!" And the Bluebird flew down to the garden bushes to tell his winter companion, the Song Sparrow, all about it.
CHAPTER x.x.xIII
THE PROCESSION OF BIRD FAMILIES
In which all the birds the children have learned in this little book are made to pa.s.s in orderly review, each bearing its scientific name, which the Wise Men write in Latin.
1. ORDER OF PERCHING BIRDS ORDER PAS"SERES
Which have their feet best fitted for perching, with three toes in front and one behind, all on the same level.
SUBORDER OF SINGING PERCHING BIRDS SUBORDER OS"CINES
Which have music-boxes in their throats, though not all of them can sing.
1. FAMILY OF THRUSHES FAMILY TUR"DIDAE
1. Bluebird Sia"lia sia"lis.
2. American Robin Mer"ula migrato"ria.
3. Wood Thrush Tur"dus musteli"nus.
4. Wilson"s Thrush Tur"dus fusces"cens.
5. Hermit Thrush Tur"dus aonalasch"kae pal"lasi.
6. Olive-backed Thrush Tur"dus ustula"tus swain"soni.
2. FAMILY OF OLD-WORLD WARBLERS FAMILY SYLVI"IDAE
7. Golden-crowned Kinglet Reg"ulus sat"rapa.