MAY 



" Gorgeous Flowerlets in the Sunlight Shining, 

 Blossoms Flaunting in the eye of day." 



LONGFELLOW. 



THIS is the month of blossoming trees, of which 

 this ancient city garden contains a goodly number. 

 In all, flowering and otherwise and quite exclusive 

 of shrubs, there are 102. I have counted them 

 myself. There are nine mangoes, a few teak, a fig, 

 two bael, and five date-palm trees ; also jack-fruit, 

 with dark handsome foliage and large yellow, gourd- 

 like, mal- odorous fruit, over the possession of which 

 the servants squabble, but which we cannot endure 

 within 10 yards of us. Old, old Peepul trees (Ficus 

 Eeligiosa), full of snakes and geckos (which are 

 creatures that lie close to the brown bark of the 

 upper branches all day, and are indistinguishable 

 from it. At intervals they start a curious perform- 

 ance. First they rattle a sort of castanets in their 



