152 



THE MUSEUM. 



a room, where there is hardly space 

 enough to turn around in. When I 

 first came, I looked around for a 

 perch — they were all taken. How- 

 ever, a little Saw-whet was calmly en- 

 joying a comfortable place near me. 

 Quite by accident, of course, in spread- 

 ing my wings to stretch, I knocked 

 him off his perch, and before he re- 

 covered himself, I jumped up on it. 

 He objected to the proceedings, and 

 was about to call an attendant, when 

 I explained to him, with one of my 

 fierce looks, that, seeing that he and I 

 were going to live together for some 

 time, he would find it more comfort- 

 able on the whole, to let me enjoy my 

 little jokes. So here I am, snugly 

 enscoused on board at last, and a very 

 easy seat too. The Saw- whet is try- 

 ing- to sit on the sharp end of a spike, 

 he looks funny. 



Abib I 3. 



Another day has passed; nothing of 

 importance, however, has happened. 

 The Finches are coming aboard now. 

 They are not slow either. The Red 

 Polls worked the Orical in great 

 shape; some of the tricks they played 

 are worthy of my e.xample. They used 

 the i\ouv scheme until they were re- 

 fused admittance, and then one went 

 and ground his bill down on a grind- 

 stone a little sharper, and palmed him- 

 self as a Hoary Red Poll, and it work- 

 ed too. 



Abib 17. 



Nothing worth recording happened 

 today. Everybody is aboard, but not 

 settled. The elephant cannot find his 

 trunk, and is now screaming at the 

 carelessness that put it in the hold, 

 when he wanted it in his state room. 

 These cramped quarters are very try- 

 upon one's temper. The Saw-whet 

 has a most beastly one, and grumbles 

 (as much as he dare) whenever I take 

 his share of the food. It stands to 

 reason, that a small bird like him re- 

 quires less food than I do. He is 

 most unreasonable. 



Abib 18. 



Whew I how it rains. I am glad I 

 am not outside. Things have quieted 

 aown a little now; though every now 

 and then an angry dispute breaks out 

 somewhere, over food, or room, or a 

 some such cause. I wish the crows 

 in the next room wouldn't annoy me 

 so. I gently remonstrated with one, 

 whose head came close to a crack in 

 the partition — before he died, he said 

 he "had caws to annoy me." Pun- 

 ning is so vulgar; it quite spoilt his 

 flavor. 



.\bib 28. 



Haven't had a moment's peace late- 

 ly. Those confounded crows next 

 door, have behaved most shockingly. 

 They hurl the most abusive epitaphs 

 at me. They keep away from the 

 crack though, so I can't do a thing in 

 defense. Salt meat is tiresome as a 

 diet. The Saw-whet is becoming most 

 impertinent, I will have to teach him 

 a lesson. Today I stepped on him, 

 and he had the nerve to ask me to 

 move my foot. If he keeps on he will 

 get hurt; I cannot stand his whims 

 much longer. 



J.AN. 14. 



The rain is abating, but it will be 

 some time before the water goes down. 

 I am stiff with this confinement, my 

 wings fairly ache for exercise, and I 

 am sick and tired with that salt meat 

 we are ser\ed with. I wonder how 

 the Saw-whet would taste.' 



J.\N. 20. 



The Saw-whet was very tender in- 

 deed. Nobody saw me take him, but 

 that Barred Owl. I wonder if he 

 could make much of a fight.' 



Shebeth 10. 



I hear some of the mountain tops 

 are in sight. The water there is fall- 

 ing very fast. The Barred Owl was 

 rather tough, but far better than salt- 

 ed stuff. 



We have been hard and fast aground 

 for some time now. The Professor 



