Everywhere we find the birds.

In autumn the migratory birds leave us, but they return in the spring.
Even in March we hear the call of the robin. At the same time the bold
and saucy blue-jay pays us his first visit. One hears the sweet songs
of the birds from May until October. Some of them remain with us
during the winter.

There are many things that birds can do. The swallows fly with the
greatest ease. The ostrich runs rapidly. Swimming birds dive with
much skill. The owl moves noiselessly through the night air. Birds of
prey search out their victims with keen vision.

Nearly all birds build skillfully made nests with their bills and feet.
Some make them out of straw, and the little birds usually line them
with wool. The large birds of prey build theirs from small sticks and
twigs. For the most part they hatch the eggs with the warmth of the
body. Many birds are highly valued on account of their eggs, while
others are prized for their flesh and feathers. Still others charm us
with their songs.




LESSON XXV

SLEEP

Of all the wonderful things about us, sleep is one of the most
wonderful. How it comes, why it comes, how it does its kind, helpful