February 



fessional beggars, will follow people about in the 

 hope of getting a dainty morsel from the chari- 

 table public. Either in intimacy or desperation 

 I have sometimes had them run up my trousers. 

 Now and then a wild rabbit starts up at your 

 approach and dashes out of sight ; and one after- 

 noon the sharp crack of a rifle, that called up 

 visions of blasted hopes and black despair, the 

 victims of which seem to regard the Park as an 

 attractive place wherein with powder and ball 

 to seek the quietus of all their woes, quickly 

 gathered the passers-by to a spot beneath the 

 trees. The tragic episode (for the ball reached 

 its intended mark, and the inanimate form lay 

 stretched on the ground) proved to be the sud- 

 den and violent demise of Reynard, encroach- 

 ing too far within the confines of the metropo- 

 lis. He would have done better to remain in 

 his wild woodland home ; but, like thousands of 

 others, he did not know what was good for 

 him, and was ambitious to go to the city ! and 

 his name is added to the long roll of unfortu- 

 nates of whom city life has been the ruination. 



A new and beautiful sight this month is a 

 flock of European goldfinches. The attempt is 



59 



