Bird Stories   By: Edith M. (Edith Marion) Patch (1876-)

[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 coöperation, 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

Two babies, not yet out of their eggshells, hidden among the rushes 53

While their children were napping, Gavia and Father Loon went to a party 61

At Work in the Plaster Pit 72

The Hunting Flight 74

They always chatted a bit and then went on with their work, placing their plaster carefully 77

Quaint Clay Pottery 81

A Famous Landmark 85

Above all other creatures of this great land he had been honored 87

The Yankee Doodle Twins 90

In this Mother Crow had laid her eggs 101

"Kah! Kah! Kah!" he called from sun up to sun down 109

Corbie slipped off and amused himself 116

She wore, draped from her shoulders, snowy plumes of rare beauty 122

Near Ardea's Home 124

That criss cross pile of old dead twigs was a dear home, and they both guarded it 127

The Flying Clown 135

Peaceful enough, indeed, had been the brooding days 141

The little rascals could practise the art of camouflage 144

Suppose you should find just one pair 153

Through all the lonesome woods there is not one dove 158

Once, so many flew by, that the sound of their wings was like the sound of thunder 161

Oh, the wise, wise look of him 165

Solomon knew the runways of the mice 168

Those five adorable babies of Solomon 171

He passed the brightest hours dozing 174

It was time for the Feast of the Vagabonds 185

Something south of the Amazon kept calling to him 189

Nature has kept faith with him and brought him safely back to his meadow 195

BIRD STORIES

I