The Birds of the East.
THE shyness of the birds in our country has, doubtless, led many to regard the incident in this vision to be wholly improbable; but the following extract describes scenes which are in fact only a repetition of the Egyptian’s dream. “In India, the generality of animals are much tamer than in these countries. Hawks come up to the very doors, sparrows crowd into the verandahs with their little beaks opened as they pant with heat, and jackdaws will snatch the bread out of the hands of children. The cooks, when carrying victuals on their heads, hold the basket in which the messes are placed with one hand, whilst the other is employed in waving a stick above them to keep away the hawks and jackdaws. On one occasion one of our bobagees forgot his stick, and while proceeding to the barracks, down pounced an enormous hawk and knocked the dinners of some dozen men to the ground.” — The Camp and Barrack-room.