Nov. 2—Life has its litle. compensations, as found this morning. T had been out tu the country (or as near as 1 could get to it) trying fo get some of the old thrills... and all T could find was barbed-wire and beastliness, Tt {s true that on the side of a gravemannd I found patch of wild chrysanthemums in perfect bloom bunches of litre yellow buttons ut that seemed poor reward for a morning's search, So T'went home disgusted. "Arrived in the garden T noted there was something unusual cing on in the neighbourhood of the bir Sparrows were hopping yound in an uncomfortable manner; up. inthe trees Bulbuls Were" hissing and chattering; a Blackbird squeaked as if he were trying to signify that there were strangers about, So T sidied along the verandah with my glasses "at the ready" and Was soon rewarded with an unusual sight Two birds, the size and shape of Wagtails, but more heavily built, were taking turns at bath: ing, and sometimes even bathed together: but have never seen anything like the enthusiasm with which they did iL 'The water being shallow. they had to duck their heads, fatten four their talls and then splash with their wings to get a sort of home-made shower-bath. NOL fence, but time and time again, the two of them took' turns in the bath and Twas toon able to recognize them ax a pair of Blakiston's Water pipits, most unusual birds to see in a garden, can' only assume that these creatures had turned to their old haunts in the country and, finding there was a war on, had decided thal a garden bird-bath was better than nothing, 80
Sengers, all Russian or Chinese save one, they came in and made the best of It, ust Dogan wheeling, bending and stretching about ko me! in preparation for the night. It seemed like Boone et ea one only wide open space, NOV. 2.—This morning was one of those morn fon the after deck was the hatch upon whi ich Ings when you walk up and down a bit because your feel you will not be so easy to hit like that, some fly Russian women made ready to An unknown warrior in eharxe of some hea retire having been quick in the act of ai artillery had decided to give his litre pets a propriation.
The loss fortunate looked else-run across the French Concession, 30 he picked where to place their cots or bedding rolls, fon my garden as being the best route: my gar= some establishing bedrooms in crevices. beener was quite annoyed about it and came tween cabbage baskets, others finding niches: me to complain that if this gunner shot obit between portions of the winch machinery, oe Jow he would spoil all his chrysanthemums, and still others mounting the cabbage baskets But the most amazing thing was the effect to find a home. bombardment had on the bird. population: 1 have never seen anything quite like i, wor did ever realize there were so many birds in the The Chinese were bird-like their neighbourhood. The rooks which have taken 10 activities, Using straw, matting and bedin the field behind my house. were the ding, some constructed snug little nests in and. when they came nooks of the superstructure in a way that over the garden, not knowing quite y, that otaried the Magpies off: left an ordinary person with a sense of awe._ only two of them but they can make With residences established for the night-day-noise for twenty: the Blackbirds and-night to come, food and drink were pro-quite crazy and the number" which @uced from baskets and boxes of bass managed to Riy sideways over the garden, and the genial, verbose, carefree nature Screaming their heads off, startled me. This the Russian people, men, women and children, activity among the larger birds brought all the gradually began to manifest itself.
Smaller Try into action and everything from Bulbuls to Sparrows began to fly aimlessly about, chirping and squeaking, The food on the Not oven grease, dirt, exceedingly cramped bird-tables was entirely neglected and T was space, nor the ever-dominant cabbages could beginning to wonder just what would happen weigh down the spirits of the Russians. next. I forgot to mention that a large flock of Favoured by a full moon which laid a bright!
Night Herons which roost in Avenue Haig path across the smooth black sea, they sang during the day, left their resting place and cir-independently and in unison for a whil led round overhead making harsh noises, Then Then all was quiet. Later, on getting up to funny thing happened: a little Mynoh (whom 1 call Dan) came rolling across the lawn, with survey the sleeping crowd, a remarkable} git woe scans busade of people resting iit! hands in his pockets as usual, and began to this aroused the jealousy. of the Bulbuls blissfully in the most insane positions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.