AN IDLE AFTERNOON 221 



the foothills ; and behold, here he was on my idle 

 afternoon, close at home. Who says that the lame 

 and the lazy are not provided for ? 



My dreamy saunter was turning out ornitho- 

 logical in spite of myself, and as if the gnatcatcher 

 and the eagle had not done enough to that end, 

 the ubiquitous raven now took a hand at the 

 business. My thoughts were just settling back 

 into vacancy, when the ravens were seen to be 

 commencing their regular afternoon progress to 

 their roosting grounds, wherever those may be, 

 on the other side of the city. A detachment of 

 some scores was already on the move. And pre- 

 sently I observed what was to me a strange and 

 interesting thing, although, for aught I can affirm 

 to the contrary, it may be only an every-day oc- 

 currence. 



A great part of the birds were playing by twos, 

 one chasing the other, as if engaged in a frolic to 

 which all parties were perfectly accustomed. I 

 had not expected such a pitch of levity on the 

 part of these black-suited, and as I should have 

 thought, rather gloomy-natured scavengers. But 

 they were going to roost, and like children at the 

 hour of bedtime, they were making a lark of it. 

 Perhaps the day's picking had been uncommonly 

 good ; they had been over by a certain cattle- 

 slaughtering establishment ; something, at all 



