A short time; since, on the road to Chefoo, a large flock of about five hundred sparrow: were noticed perched on the telegraph wire which runs N.E, and S.W. along the road. The peculiar thing about the flock was that they were all heads North and tails South; and while a bird approaching the wire from the South approaching from, the North always wheeled Highte naturally, one round on the wing and backed up to the wire, Going on a few Zi further, another Jnrge flock was noticed, also perched on the wire, and of all the birds which could be taken under the eye at once, each one still occupied the correct oficial position of facing towards Peking. Was it because they objected to fronting the bright sun, or, seeing there was a good north-west wind blowing, did they find difficulty in alighting or in keeping their perch, unless they faced the breeze? No doubt some of our sporting friends, "rich in lore of fields and brooks," and Like Apollonius of old Who know the tales the sparrows told," have noted similar occurrences, and can tell us the reason why.
18th August.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.