Oct, 23—Magpies are said to mate for life, but there is no doubt that if one of a pair: ies the survivor quickly replaces the lost one. from among the younger generation. Tam sorry to be forced to the conclusion that my. Old friend Maggie has departed this life: she was easily distinguished by a slightly lame leg, Tesulting from the accident when her nest was blown out of a willow tree: now Father appears with a new Maggie—a slender litre thing With a very pert manner, quite unlike the stolid old bird which has haunted my garden so long. However, the two birds scorn to be getting along quite well, and only one little spot trouble has "arisen so far. The other day both were hopping round in their tree, pretending to be doing a. tittle nest build: Ing, when a. sudden harsh calling attracted my attention: the next moment a third Magpie Tanded in the tree and a very short and sharp {ight ensued: exactly what happened I cannot say as the action was too rapid, but the next moment, two Magpies went rocketing up in the alr, followed by the third all three seemed to ect high in the air one flew off and the original couple came back to their tree. Now Tuam trying to work out exactly what can have happened on that occasion: was the Interloper a male trying to seek the favours of the new Maggie, or (most awful thought) was it, possibly the original Maggie trying to claim her husband back Whatever it was, T have not seen signs of any further interlopers, cannot believe that the male bird would have turned hie old mate out, and T can only think that my old friend has gone to whatever place all good Magpies go to in the end Oct. 27.—When the seasons change we human] beings either dig into the wardrobe, hoping 10 ud something suitable to wear, or go and order: 2 new suit....a troublesome and. expensive Process. Nature has devised more economical methods for her wild creatures: the snake grows 'a new skin underneath and wriggles out of the fold one: animals such as the hare cast off the old coat and grow a new one, often of a different colour for use in winter: birds drop the old feathers and grow another crop, Some! birds go through this process of moulling once, some twice, and some even three times,...bui it is the autumn incult which is the most interesting to the ordinary observer, as it is now the youngsters change from immature to adult plumage....a fact made obvious by our om: monest birds during this month of October. Take! the young Bulbuls for example; they have been going round with dull ashy-grey heads showing signs of any kind of decoration: within the capital was transferred from Hangchow to Peking, and so carly as 3279 Shanghai's im~
Justify it disregarding the authority of the Sungkiang prefecture and so remitting taxes direct to Peking. In 1288, with an villages, Shanghai was created a district, but even then it was not sufficient
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important to attract the attention of Marco To the social influences of Soochow and Hangchow, Shanghai's cultural growth was attributed,' so that in the 16th century pocts and muses were said to abound there, and Shanghai's ladies were recognized as models of virtue and filial piety.
The picture of Shanghai in this era in cludes mention of a pleasure resort in one of its northern suburbs:
s., Thousands of plumtrees were planted there, around which" wended a canal; and when the garden was in full. blossom, its Beauly and fragrance attracted crowds of pleasure-seckers, who in gorgeously bedecked boats came by the Soochow Creek to sing their praise with pipe and lute. Later, the picturesque environs of Shanghai attracted 0 famous imperial visitor, Kang-hs}, who in the course of a tour among the canals. stayed awhile at the Hills, where a fine stone land~ ing-place built for him is still to be seen near Zorse; and for this hill he coined a name—Lan Suen Shan, or Fragrant Bamboo-shoot wi So in spite of wars and piratical attacks Shanghai persisted in growing. In the Ming Dynasty the number of families resident there were recorded at 110,000. Administra tive changes restricted the area, but in 1812 its population was computed as 528,000, a figure declared to be greatly in advance of any previous record, Then came the foreign entry into Shanghai, the founding of the Settlement, and by the defence of the city against the' Taipings reparation was made for the desolation which had overcome it 300 years before when the imperial forees fled in' panic from Nantao, ast few weeks the crown has been becoming black, the nape Is sprouting little white feathers, and very soon each of them will have the black, head and white nape so typical of the adult, 'The Pled Woodpecker which comes to attend to the borers in my apple tree almost every day thas gone through spectacular changes; when he was amore apprentice In. the wood-pecking trade, he had a dull red crown; now he has a black' crown and a bright scarlet band at the base of the skull. The Blackbird which was speckled brown or rusty black (according to his age) has swiftly taken on a deep black coat and is feeling so pleased with it that he has Started to sing again,. The youngest Mynah which runs about my leven has also turned from Gull to really brilliant black and, most marvel fous of all, has suddenly grown that crested "moustache" at the base of his beale which always reminds me of Old BIN, Tt must be quite exciting at this time of year to be a bird s—With no tailors' bills (0 pay.
Oct, 30.—Sat in my verandah this morning watching the autumn leaves falling and trying to work out just how and why it all happens: local gardening, book not a bit helpful just quotes Horace at me, "heavy autumn' collects the bitter toll of death" Don't like that a Dit, because T think that autumn is a period of rest rather than of death: anyway Horace never saw my gardener sweeping up autumn leave because he makes it one of the, liveliest cupation I have ever seen, and knows seven een diferent ways of making noises while he does it, Just at this moment in my reverie 1 found myself faeing my" youngest" unmarried daughter (who had suddenly grown long hair again) and. the following conversation took place:
She: Why do teaves fall in autumn Daddy?
T:" Because all plant life" depends upon a chemical compound" known as ehlorophylt and When it, disintenrates. (as It. docs at certain Temperatines) then that particular plant life ust cease until more chlorophyll pops wy to thas other colouring, matter (he, the red of the carrot). so when the Breet pari of chlorophyll dies off It leaves. the' reds She: What i chlorophyll Daddy?
A:"ie you really want to know It Uy CS5-1172- osetv4nM4g..-..but that misses out the Xanthophyll which gives the yellow colours...
She: "What ts Xanthophyit, Daddy?
No! Thad not lost my temper und it was another air-raid: it-was only the gardener roping his broom, and that's what woke
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.