hes to the little
nest far out on a branch of one of the apple-trees.

"Everybody does," replied Johnny. "Everybody loves them as much as they
hate Bully and his wife. Did you know that they are sometimes called
Tree Sparrows? I suppose it is because they so often build their nests
in trees?"

"No," said Peter, "I didn't. Chippy shouldn't be called Tree Sparrow,
because he has a cousin by that name."

Johnny Chuck looked as if he doubted that, "I never heard of him," he
grunted.

Peter grinned. Here was a chance to tell Johnny Chuck something, and
Peter never is happier than when he can tell folks something they don't
know. "You'd know him if you didn't sleep all winter," said Peter.
"Dotty the Tree Sparrow spends the winter here. He left for his home in
the Far North about the time you took it into your head to wake up."

"Why do you call him Dotty?" asked Johnny Chuck.

"Because he has a little round black dot right in the middle of his
breast," replied Peter. "I don't know why they call him Tree Sparrow; he
doesn't spend his time in the trees the way Chippy does, but I see him
much oftener in low bushes or on the ground. I think Chippy has much
more right to the name of Tree Sparrow than Dotty has. Now I think of
it, I've heard Dotty called the Winter Chippy."

"Gracious, what a mix-up!" exclaimed Johnny Chuck. "With Chippy being
called a Tree Sparrow and a Tree Sparrow called Chippy, I should think
folks would get all tangled up."

"Perhaps they would," replied Peter, "if both were here at the same
time, but Chippy comes just as Dotty goes, and Dotty comes as Chippy
goes. That's a pretty good arrangement, especially as they look very
much alike, excepting that Dotty is quite a little bigger than Chippy
and always has that black dot, which Chippy does not have. Goodness
gracious, it is time I was back in the dear Old Briar-patch! Good-by,
Johnny Chuck."

Away went Peter Rabbit, lipperty-lipperty-lip, heading for the dear
Old Briar-patch. Out of the grass just ahead of him flew a rather pale,
streaked little brown bird, and as he spread his tail Peter saw two
white feathers on the outer edges. Those two white feathers were all
Peter needed to recognize another little friend of whom he is very fond.
It was Sweetvoice the Vesper Sparrow, the only one of the Sparrow family
with white feathers in his tail.

"Come over to the dear Old Briar-patch and sing to me," cried Peter.

Sweetvoice dropped down into the