THE OLD UPTOWN AQUARIUM 141 



in the straw with my legs spread out and feet over 

 my head. 



It was just at this moment that Mrs. Olive 

 Thorne Miller, the celebrated writer of books on 

 birds, came in and looking over the railing smiled 

 sweetly as she said: "How do you do, Mr. 

 Beard." I did not take off my hat to the lady for 

 the reason that the elephant had already done that 

 for me. 



I do not know that 



AN ELEPHANT LAUGHS 



or that scientists will admit that they are ever guilty 

 of such an expression of mirth, but I do know that 

 when I regained my seat both of those little imps 

 came up to me and throwing their trunks back over 

 their heads and opening wide their mouths they 

 thrust their faces close to mine and made a noise 

 like this : Sh a s s s s ! and it would take 

 a strong argument to convince me that this was 

 not an elephantine laugh. It was only after a con- 

 tinued vaudeville performance during which I 

 played the clown and the elephants took the part 

 of ring master that I succeeded in making the rude 

 sketches preserved to this time and here repro- 

 duced. 



There used to be a 



WEE BABY CAMEL 



up at Central Park which was fondled by every- 

 body. The baby grew rapidly, but seemed to be 

 unconscious of that fact, and when my brother, J. 



