[Citizen Bird by Mabel Osgood Wright and Elliott Coues]@TWC D-Link bookCitizen Bird CHAPTER XVI 22/44
What does he say--for the song of two short bars surely has words? One person understands it one way, and thinks the bird says 'all-day whittling, whittling, whittling!' Some one else hears 'pe-a--peabody--peabody--peabody!' While to me the White-throat always says '_I_ work--cleverly, cleverly, cleverly--poor me--cleverly, cleverly, cleverly!'" As the Doctor paused a moment, Rap whistled an imitation of the song, throwing the sound far from him after a fashion that the Chat has, so that it seemed to come from the trees, completely deceiving Dodo. "Uncle, uncle!" she whispered, creeping softly up to him, "one of the White-throats must have stayed until now, for that bird says 'cleverly! cleverly! cleverly!'" Rap was delighted at the success of his imitation, and Nat and Dodo tried to whistle with him, Dodo being the most successful. "Oh! oh! what happens to whistling girls ?" said Nat, who was a little provoked at her success. "Nothing at all," said Olive, "when they only whistle bird-songs.
I've whistled to birds ever since I could pucker up my lips, and father taught me how--didn't you, father dear? Only you used to say, 'Never whistle in public places.'" "I believe I did; and Rap shall teach you, Dodo, so you can call a bird close to you by imitating its song." The White-throated Sparrow Length about six and a half inches. Striped on the back with bay, black, and gray; two white crossbars on each wing, the edge of which is yellow; two white stripes on the black crown, and a yellow spot before the eye. Gray below, more slate-colored on the breast, with a pure white throat, which is bounded by little black streaks. A Summer Citizen of the Northern States and beyond.
Spends the winter in the Middle and Southern States. Belongs to the guild of Weed Warriors, and is a bright, cheerful, useful bird. THE CHIPPING SPARROW (THE CHIPPY.
THE SOCIABLE BIRD) "I know a Chippy now, when I see it, before you tell us anything about it!" said Dodo gleefully.
"There were three or four dear little ones yesterday on the grass, near the dining-room window.
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