3.  The hen sleeps on a perch on one leg.  It never falls off; its foot is made for grasping.

4.  Hens are useful for the eggs they give us; and they are also good for food.  Their feathers, too, are useful.

Write and learn:

The hen has—­
    A small head. 
    A strong bill. 
    A grasping foot.

The hen is—­
    A domestic bird. 
    A percher. 
    Useful.

The hen gives us—­
    Eggs. 
    Food. 
    Feathers.

THE SPARROW. [Page 86.

1.  The sparrow is a small bird with brown and gray feathers.  It builds its nest on our houses, and sometimes in the pipes which carry the rain off the roof.  A sparrow’s nest is seldom found in a tree.  It lays five or six eggs which are spotted with brown.

2.  Farmers often kill sparrows because they steal the corn and fruit.  But they are really good friends to the farmer.  They eat the worms and grubs, which would destroy all the fruit.

3.  The sparrow is a very bold little bird, and is to be found in the streets of the largest towns as well as in the country.

Write and learn:

The sparrow has—­
    Brown and gray feathers. 
    Sharp claws. 
    A long tail.

The sparrow is—­
    Small. 
    Bold. 
    Useful.

The sparrow eats—­
    Grain. 
    Worms. 
    Fruit.

HERBS. [Page 90.

1.  Herbs are plants or vegetables with soft stalks or stems.  Some grow wild, others we grow in our gardens.

2.  We use some for eating, such as mustard and cress.  Others, such as parsley, mint, sage, and thyme, we use to flavour our food.  Many are used as medicine.

3.  Most herbs have a nice scent.  They are very plentiful, and very useful.

Write and learn:

Herbs have—­
    Soft stems. 
    Nice scent. 
    Strong flavour.

Herbs are—­
    Plentiful. 
    Useful. 
    Grown from seeds.

Herbs are used—­
    For eating. 
    For flavouring. 
    For medicine.

COFFEE [Page 93.

1.  We get coffee from the coffee-tree.  It is an evergreen, something like our bay-tree.  It bears a pretty white flower.

2.  When the flower falls it leaves a red berry, something like a cherry.  The two hard, oval seeds inside it are what we call coffee beans.  They are of a pale colour in the berry, but are roasted to make them brown.

3.  Coffee is good to drink, but it is not so cheap as tea.  It grows in warm countries far away—­in Arabia and the West Indies chiefly.

Write and learn:

The Coffee-tree—­
    Is an evergreen. 
    Has white flowers. 
    Has a red berry.

Coffee is—­
    Good to drink. 
    Warming. 
    Not so cheap as tea.