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 
