me
Of gray and silver skies went sailing,"

in ever-widening circles, without moving a feather that we could
perceive. It was charming to see how nicely they folded down their
splendid wings on alighting, stretching each one out, and apparently
straightening every feather before laying it into its place.

Several hours this interesting flock accompanied the horses and man
around the field, taking possession of each furrow as it was laid open,
and chattering and eating as fast as they could; and the question
occurred to me, if a field that is thoroughly gleaned over every spring
furnishes so great a supply of creatures hurtful to vegetation, what
must be the state of grounds which are carefully protected from such
gleaning, on which no bird is allowed to forage?

As noon approached, the hour when "birds their wise siesta take,"
although the plow did not cease its monotonous round, the birds retired
in a body to the still untouched middle of the field, and settled
themselves for their "nooning," dusting themselves--their snowy
plumes!--like hens on an ash heap, sitting about in knots like parties
of ducks, preening and shaking themselves out, or going at once to
sleep, according to their several tastes. Half an hour's rest sufficed
for the more active spirits, and then they treated us, their patient
observers, to an aerial exhibition. A large number, perhaps three
quarters of the flock, rose in a body and began a spiral flight. Higher
and higher they went, in wider and wider circles, till, against the
white clouds, they looked like a swarm of midges, and against the blue
the eye could not distinguish them. Then from out of the sky dropped one
after another, leaving the soaring flock looking wonderfully ethereal
and gauzy in the clear air, with the sun above him, almost like a spirit
bird gliding motionless through the ether till he alighted at last
quietly beside his fellows on the ground. In another half hour they were
all behind the plow again, hard at work.

When we had looked our fill, we straightway sought out and questioned
some of the wise men among the "peculiar people." This is what we
learned: that when plowing is over the birds retire to their home, an
island in the lake, where, being eminently social birds, their nests are
built in a community. Their beneficent service to mankind does not end
with the plowing season, for when that is over they turn their attention
to the fish that are brought into the l