12 OUT OF DOORS. 



imitated my whistle with wonderful fidelity. He got 

 quite excited at last, flew to his perch, thence to the 

 wires on a level with my face, clung firmly with his 

 strong claws, poked his beak through the interstices of 

 the intersections, and fairly screamed with exultation. 

 Meanwhile his companion was making the best of his 

 time by pecking my boots. 



Pleasant as this amusement was, the hours were 

 passing, and the wind was chilly, so I bade farewell to 

 the piping crow, and cruelly left him, in spite of his 

 repeated attempts to recall me by screams and whistles. 



Mag, in the next compartment, was cheerful 

 enough ; so were the ravens, with whom I exchanged a 

 friendly croak in passing, and allowed them their usual 

 bite at my pencil. 



The elephant and the rhinoceros have been too 

 long residents to care much for the vicissitudes of an 

 English climate. The former was swinging itself from 

 side to side in his den with that peculiar movement 

 which seems instinctive to the creature, and may 

 possibly answer as a succedaneum for walking exercise. 

 The latter was serenely munching a truss or so of straw, 

 his nose in the air, slapping his lips together with 

 every sidelong movement of his mouth, while from his 

 big lungs issued an occasional grunt of satisfaction, 

 though certainly the substance which he was eating 

 seemed absurdly incapable of affording any nourishment 

 to the system, or gratification of the palate. None 



