You can give a part of the money in your tin bank to help the poor birds if you wish." "Oh yes--that is--I forgot," and Dodo whispered in her uncle's ear that she, as well as Nat, was saving money to buy Rap a _whole_ bird book for Christmas.
"It seems to be a very open place for nests, out here on the sand," said Rap.

"I suppose the little Gulls and Terns must be hatched with down-feathers on." "Yes--though they are not able to take care of themselves as quickly as young Ducks.

But as soon as they can leave the nest, they walk down to the water's edge and eat a sort of gluey stuff that floats in on the water.

So you see that unless the law protected them they might be very easily stolen or destroyed before their wings were strong enough to fly." "It must be very cold for them here in the winter." "It would be if they were obliged to stay; but both Gulls and Terns scatter all over the country to winter, though the Terns travel much further south." By this time the lighthouse keeper had made his way over to them.
Finding who they were, he invited them to bring their luncheon and row over to Little Gull Island with him, to see the lighthouse.
There was a dancing breeze when they turned homeward that afternoon; the boat canted saucily, and little feathers of spray kept tickling Dodo's nose.
"Are there any more water birds that we are likely to see this fall ?" asked Nat, as the Gull Islands disappeared behind them.
"There will be great flocks of Wild Geese coming down from the North, and they often rest on the mill pond; or a Loon may chance down the river, and a Grebe or two." "Are Geese Ducks ?" asked Dodo, and then laughed with the others at the question.
"Not precisely--no more than rats are mice," said the Doctor; "but both Ducks and Geese belong to the same family." "And what are the others--the Loons and Grubs--are they wading or swimming birds ?" "_Grebes,_ not grubs," laughed the Doctor.

"Loons and Grebes are swimming birds, like Ducks or Gulls, but both belong to quite a different order from any of the others and each of them belongs to a family of its own.