This game is a great favorite with all the children, even in the upper
grades. Two players are chosen as bird-catchers, and stand in one
corner of the room. The "mother-bird" is chosen to stand in another
"nest" in the other front corner of the room. The other players are
named in groups (those in one row of seats usually) for various birds,
"robins," "wrens," etc. As the name of each group of birds is
called, they go to the back of the room, and, at a signal, run to the
"mother-bird's nest." The bird-catchers try to catch them before they
reach it. The "birds" dodge in and out among the desks, jumping over
the seats, etc. The mother-bird and bird-catchers count their birds at
the end of the game, and all "fly" back to their seats; that is, wave
their arms and skip to their seats.
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