o often been
condemned offhand. Although they occasionally ate chickens, no one had
tried to find out the good which they did.

To hear the complaints against the great California sea lion, the court
adjourned to the seashore. The fishermen declared that the sea lion ate
the fish upon which their livelihood depended, and also broke their
nets. They demanded that all the sea lions be killed. Careful search in
the stomachs of some of them that had been taken for that purpose made
it very clear that the fishermen were wrong. The sea lions ate almost no
fish, but lived upon squid and other sea animals not valuable to the
fishermen. As a result, these interesting animals were given full
protection.

The oyster farmers complained most indignantly to the court about the
conduct of the wild ducks. They said that the ducks ate a large part of
the young oysters on their oyster farms. They wanted the ducks shot
without delay, for their business was almost ruined. This matter was
carefully looked into, and it was proved that the ducks really ate very
few oysters.

The judge remarked as he adjourned court that if all the accusations
were true, hardly a wild creature would be left. He said further that
each one was entitled to fair treatment at the hands of men unless it
was wholly bad.

CHAPTER THIRTY

THE BIRDS OUR GOOD FRIENDS AND PLEASANT COMPANIONS

As we lie partly awake on some bright spring morning, we hear through
the open window such a chorus of music that it seems almost as though we
must be in some enchanted land. This music, however, is the songs of the
birds that nest about our homes.

We can distinguish in the chorus the notes of many different birds. From
the treetop come the sweet songs of the oriole and robin. Upon a low
bush sits a black-headed grosbeak that never seems to weary of his
refrain. From various hidden places in the dense foliage come the notes
of the song sparrow and the lazuli bunting. From its perch upon some
fence post the meadow lark adds to the cheerfulness of the morning. If
your home is far enough south, you may hear the mocking bird pouring
forth its melody in endless variation.

Rising above all other sounds, as the morning advances, are the cheery
calls of the quail who seems to say: "Where are you? Where are you? Stay
right there; stay right there." Both in the morning and in the evening
the almost heavenly music of the thrush echoes through the deep woods.
In the quiet ni