the young Grebe
riding on its mothers' back. Another parent is covering its eggs
preparatory to leaving the nest. Range of both these species: Western
North America. Habitat Group in the American Museum of Natural History.]

The love of the beautiful seems to be innate; that is, born in us. And
the birds appeal to this in at least two ways: First, on account of the
beauty of their songs, and second, on account of the beauty of their
plumage.

[Illustration: SCREECH OWL

The Screech Owl feeds largely upon mice and other destructive rodents.
Range: Eastern North America.]

Among the birds that have especially beautiful songs are the Thrushes,
which include the Robin and the Bluebird, the finest singer in this
family probably being the Hermit Thrush. In the Southern States there is
no more popular singer among the birds than the Mockingbird. But it
should be remembered that a bird's song cannot be separated from the
associations which it calls up in one's memory. So that the performance
of an ordinary songster may be more pleasing to one than that of some
finer one because of youthful associations.

[Illustration: SAND HILL CRANES IN FLORIDA

Unlike the Herons, these birds fly with neck fully extended. Their loud,
resonant trumpeting is as characteristic as the honking of Wild Geese.
Range: North America. Habitat Group in The American Museum of Natural
History.]

[Illustration: GREAT HORNED OWL

Rabbits constitute a favorite food when available. Poultry and other
birds are also destroyed by this owl. Range: Eastern North America.]

It seems to be a general law of nature that the finest songsters have
the plainest coats.

[Illustration: BROWN PELICANS IN FLORIDA

The Pelicans nest in colonies, and the young feed from the parents'
throats. Range: Gulf coast of U. S. and southward. Habitat Group in The
American Museum of Natural History.]

[Illustration: EGRETS: PARENT BIRDS]

Among the birds that we enjoy on account of their beautiful plumage are
the Egrets, every feather of their coats being as white as snow, and
the plumes of these birds are so beautiful, and human beings have been
so thoughtless that the Egrets have been almost exterminated in order to
supply the millinery trade. These plumes, known as aigrettes, grow on
the backs between the shoulders of both the male and female birds, and
are worn only during the nesting season. The only time during the
nesting season that the plume hunter finds it p