[Citizen Bird by Mabel Osgood Wright and Elliott Coues]@TWC D-Link bookCitizen Bird CHAPTER IV 2/42
Quick, the fidgety little fox-terrier, sat by the hearth, watching a possible mouse hole; and Mr.Wolf, the tawny St.Bernard, chose the rug as a comfortable place for finishing his morning toilet. Olive presently joined the group.
The Doctor took the dead White-throated Sparrow from the table, and began to walk about the room, stopping now in front of the fire and then by the window. "Here is a Sparrow, different from every other kind of Sparrow, different indeed from any other sort of bird in the world--else it would not be the particular sort of a Sparrow called the White-throated.
But there are a good many things that it has in common with all other birds. Can you tell me some of them ?" "I know!" said Dodo; "it has a good many feathers on it, and I guess all kinds of birds wear feathers, except some when they are very little in the nest." "Quite right, little girl," said the Doctor.
"Every bird has feathers, and no other animal has feathers.
So we say, 'A bird is known by its feathers.' But what do you suppose its feathers are for ?" "To make it look nice and pretty," said Dodo promptly. "To make it lighter, so's it can fly," added Nat. "To keep it warm, too, I guess," was Rap's answer. "Well, you are all three partly, but not quite, right.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|