Notes oil Jungle and Other Wild Life. 105 



bv knockiny; his mandibles on the wood. Then the birds picked 

 up the particles one by one, repeating the process until they 

 were satisfied. A lady, with whom I was discussing this matter, 

 told me that she devised what she thought was a sure cure for 

 the " nuisance " by placing d'oyleys, weighted along their edges, 

 over such receptacles as milk jugs, bread plates and sugar con- 

 tainers, but it was of little avail because the sparrows soon 

 learned to pull off the protecting cloths, so that she was obliged 

 to follow the example of the hotels and restaurants and support 

 a feline or two. Cats appear to be the only animals, unless it 

 be the (imported) mongoose, that the Barbados sparrow really 

 fears. 



After ample observation of these odd little birds. I am of 

 the opinion that not food alone impels them to make domiciliary 

 visits. Often, following a full meal, and when there were 

 crumbs lying about uneaten, have I seen a sparrow giving the 

 contents of my room the " once over " in the minutest detail, 

 poking into wardrobes, looking into shoes, hopping about on 

 tables and under chairs and beds — even searching the waste 

 basket — to satisfy curiosity, which, I am convinced, is as real and 

 pronounced in some birds as it is said to be in some men. 



When one remembers that during his three voyages 

 across the Atlantic Columbus discovered nearly all the West 

 Indian Islands, and that from these dates most of them began 

 ro " make history," it is no wonder they have had their due 

 share of it. Nevis Columbus so named because of the snow- 

 like cloud that capped its volcanic peak ; and there they proudly 

 point out the house where Alexander Hamilton was born, and 

 still more proudly exhibit the register of Fig Tree Church, 

 containing the entry of Admiral Nelson's marriage. The date 

 is 1787, and the certificate testifies that " Capt. Horatio Nelson, 

 of H.M.S. Bureas was. on March iith, united to Frances 

 I^erbert Nisbet, widow." When I was in Barbados and my 

 speech betrayed me to the negro " who had lived in the States," 

 1 never escaped the reminder that the original George Wash- 

 ington had profited by living in their midst. 



Apart from personal contact with the haunts of these and 

 other celebrated individuals. I recollect that in and about these 

 islands there occurred many famous sea fights between the 

 English and PVench. When I was at school my maternal 



