BROWSINGS IN OTHER FIELDS. 239 



eyes and swaying their heads from side to side in 

 a nervous, irritable way. 



I felt many times repaid for my saunter through 

 the Zoo, and would advise all who have an oppor- 

 tunity of visiting a good zoological garden not to 

 let it go by unimproved. A great deal of informa- 

 tion as well as pleasure may be thus gained. 



Wherever one is, one must get people to talking 

 about one's mania. How else could it be said that 

 there is method in one's madness, or in what re- 

 spects it differs from mere lunacy? While visiting 

 with a delightful family living in a city some dis- 

 tance from my home, our conversation drifted — 

 perhaps with a good deal of calculation on my part 

 — to the birds, with the result that I was put in 

 possession of several facts worth noting, chiefly be- 

 cause they prove how helpful some birds are to one 

 another in their domestic relations. No birds are 

 more ingenious in planning for one another's com- 

 fort and safety than our " foreign brethren," the 

 English sparrows. The mistress of this intelligent 

 family, a woman who has keen eyes and ears for 

 the birds, declared that she always heard one spar- 

 row in the trees about the house waking up its 

 sleeping mates at break of day, like the father of a 

 family rousing his drowsing children. It called in 

 shrill tones as if it were saying, " Wake up ! wake 

 up ! Day is coming ! Time to go to work ! " As 

 it continued its clamor, it seemed to be flying 

 about from one point to another, visiting every bed- 

 room, until at length a faint peep was heard here 



