FIELD LESSONS

Male arrives north middle of May.--Female comes some ten or twelve days
later--travel generally by night and in flocks.--Flies south from
August to October.

Song is most musical and sweet, expressing joy and careless
happiness--the song of the female is but a short, sweet "Chink,
chink."--While the young are being cared for, the male does not sing as
he does earlier in the season, but takes up the plaintive "chink" of
his mate.

Male in spring is black with pale yellow markings on back and wings and
tail. Yellow spot on back of neck--a patch of white on breast and
other white markings.

Female pale yellow beneath--upper parts generally brown--two dark
stripes on top of the head. In autumn plumage of male resembles female.

Nest of grasses well hidden by thick leaves and stems.--Usually built
in clump of grasses and always on the ground and very shallow.

Eggs are pale blue with dark brown spots.--Four or five in
number.--Young birds when fully feathered are so alike that in a flock
young cannot be distinguished from old.

THE SEA-DOVES

AND THE

GREAT BLUE HERON

[Illustration: Great Blue Heron]

BESIDE THE SEA

One hot August day Phyllis went to the seashore to live.

"Such fun," she cried, as the train drew up at the seaside station.
"Such fun as I shall have playing in the sand and wading in the water."

It was not half an hour before she was running along the beach beside
the cliffs. Her feet were bare, and she wriggled her toes in the sand
and splashed into the puddles of water.

Presently she saw a number of little birds running along the beach and
flying over the water.

"How swiftly they fly, and how well they dive," she said. "How easily
they swim, and they sometimes settle on the waves and rest. I wish
they would come nearer!"

"I will tell you about them," said a solemn voice near by. Phyllis
stumbled in her surprise and splashed the water into her eyes. When
she could see again, a great blue heron was standing near.

"Oh!" cried Phyllis, a bit frightened. "It is strange that I did not
see you. Yes, do tell me about the little sea-bird--and about yourself
also!"

So the blue heron drew his head down between his shoulders, and,
standing on one leg, told Phyllis what he knew of the little sea-doves.

"That little bird with brown back and white breast loves the sea," said
the heron. "He is never tired of the blue waves.

"In stormy weather the little s