but in that neighborhood, since the de- three species, the common, the Ring- 



vastation of the country by the Tai- necked and the Japanese pheasants, 



pings, they are shot by hundreds, naturahzed in England, that at the pres- 



Thousands are brought down to the ent day it is exceedingly difficult to get 



Pekin market in a frozen state by the a pure-blooded individual of either of 



Mongols." According to Dr. Elliot hy- them in that country 

 bridism has been so general among the 



WE WERE SEVEN. 



We were seven when the flush of morning 



Spread over the Eastern hills, 

 And in spite of our parents' warning 



We roamed at our own free wills. 



O, sweet as the breath of the roses, 



The air at the dawning blew, 

 And wafted to seven small noses, 



An odor so strange and new. 



An odor that tried and that tempted, 



And lured from the right at last, 

 A frail band by their craving prompted — 



Keen-toothed from their night-long fast. 



So forth on their pitiful message 



There scampered a reckless crew; 

 I watched by the hole in the passage 



And counted six tails go through. 



Six tails of the young and the trusting 



That knew not the wiles of men ; 

 Six tails to their ruin hasting. 



That never returned again. 



We were seven when we rose from our slumber, 



The merriest troop in town, 

 But all that was left of our number 



W^as one when the sun went down. 



Mrs. M. a. Maitland. 



219 



