Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-23
Grand Duchess Olga 0ef and Grand Duchess Tatiana.

thing. Where is it,"
Back here in the fence IN a 10"
bush.'
"Do show it to me now" begged
the girl; ''and, Ted. I'll help you hunt
FOR that key as long as it is daylight,
and then I'll write my composition this
evening! I could write fast with green
eggs in a song-spaTOw's nest to write
about
"All right, then" agreed Ted;
come along. I've seen the OLD BIRDS,
and they are song-sparroWs. ] was
there this morning, and the eggs are
green as ever
"Green eggs in a song-sparro"
NEST" Edie told herself over and over
as her brother rapidly led the way 10
| the corner Of the back orchard
! "Here it Isl" was the triumphant
announcement.
"And here is your key in the grass,
answered his sister. 1T must nave
tumbled out of your pocket someho"
when you were looking at the nest a
little while ago. And Ted - Edward!
This isn't a song-sparrow nest IL
is the nest of a purple finch!
aren't those two birds song-spar-
rows" demanded Ted, severely. AFTER
The bounced upon his key, with ex-
clamations of Joy.
Edie, after carefully studying PAIR
Of eyayish brown birds who were
rlainlv disturbed by visitors. de-
clared that they were not sparroWs.
"'Thev are purple finches," she In
eia.ed Miss Hazelton has told us
about them over and over on Dut
this is a great find! -,
! Look here" demonstrated TED, !
guess have heard shout purple
finches too. and have seen them.
miss. I've seen them. The male isn't
purple at all He is raspberry req.
You can ask anybody that KNOWS
birds. should think you better De-
long to a nature club! YOU
| well. you see, do interrnpteo
sister Edie. "And purple finches, Ted
are not raspberry red until they are
two wears old. Now lust look at that
father bird. To be sure. he IS gray
and brown and streaked like the song
sparrows. but the rest Of his markings
are different. You can tell that he IS
purple finch only year old by that
yellow on his throat and back. and by
his heavy rounded bill and his iorNeu
tail. Oh. he is surely purple men!
"Edie, are Xou crazy?' asked her
brother "a Purple finch is RASPBERRY
red, I told you" i,
eyes" was the quick reply; 'but }
tell YOU they are not raspberry red
until they are two years old They
don't get those lovely feath""s until
the second year" g..
What are they called purple ior,
anvway?" Ted wished to know AFTER
he had finished his whistle OF sur
prise
"Because Miss Hazelton says there
is a color that is Oriental purple -
we call ii magenta, and someooaE
went and named this bird after II -.
after the Oriental purple. ! mean.
wish he had been called the rosy lihch
and wish the mother bird coulo nave
the same kind of feathers, but she IS
always sparrowy looking. see, led
This is a flat. grassy nest, lined win
horse-hair, Just the way MISS haze
ton said O Ted! I shah have an in
terestins paper now. and it will be
/ hoy, and I thank you so mucn ior
/ bringing me out here
"Oh. that is all right, observed
Ted, loftily, 81 am glad | showed J. 10
YOU" and. whistling Yankee 'ooaie.
away he went to hang the key "here
lit belonged.
When Tel went fishing that after
noon be forgot to ask his sister al.
though her composition was iinlsneo
before dinner; but she forgot the tish'
ing trip, too. in the JOY of taking vera
and Rose and Irene and Maud out 10
see a purple finch and his VIE, anu
their nest Of green eggs.
The following summer. when the
purple finch returned Clad IN rosy
feathers to sing hisf glorious song pi
thanksgiving. he was not only recog-