ould remember.

11. "Offy was a pug-dog, so fat that a little way off he looked like a
muff to which some one had tied a tail. I hated Offy, for he was
always barking at me, and I think he knew I was afraid of him. Poll
hated Offy, too, and with good reason.

12. "The pug was always sneaking round, and stealing the cake which
Poll had laid aside for her supper. Poll missed her cake and was
furious, but the dog licked his chops and laughed.

13. "One day Poll hid herself on the top of the cupboard and watched.
Offy came as usual to steal her cake, when she pounced on his back and
gave him such a drubbing that he never stole any more from her."

[Illustration: Birds of Prey.]

LESSON XXI.

_BIRDS OF PREY._

[Illustration]

1. Sometimes we see a bird come sweeping down into the farm-yard and
seize a chicken and fly away with it, and sometimes we see the same
bird pounce down upon a robin, a wren, or a dove, and carry it off.

[Illustration]

2. This robber is the hawk. Another robber, larger and stronger than
the hawk, is the eagle, which we see on the opposite page. Let us look
at them.

3. They are covered with mottled black and white feathers, which make
them look gray. In some kinds of hawks, the breast is nearly white.

[Illustration]

4. They have very strong wings, and can fly far and fast without being
tired. The beak is short, strong, and pointed, and hooked at the end.
It is made so that it can easily tear flesh from the bones of animals.

5. The claws, or talons, are strong, sharp, and hooked, and the leg
above is short and strong.

6. The hawk preys upon chickens, the smaller birds, squirrels, and
other small animals. The eagle will carry off hens, turkeys, rabbits,
lambs, and the like. They have been known to carry off a baby.

7. The hawk and the eagle seize their prey, not with their beaks, but
with their talons. They drive their long, sharp nails into the flesh,
and the chicken or rabbit is dead in a few minutes.

8. They carry their prey to their nests, and there they hold it in
their talons, and, with their beaks, tear off the flesh, which they
eat, and feed to their young.

9. Both the hawk and the eagle have sharp eyes, and they can see a
long distance. If we should see an eagle in a cage, we would find that
its eyes are bright and a deep yellow in color; but they look wild and
cruel, and we do not like to go very near it.

10. The fish-hawk preys upon fish. He sails slo