and out it falls again to toddle and jump awkwardly in the grass, calling in whining tones to its mother that it is "hurt or something," which it isn't. That this mortal bent of young mockers to fall before they are ripe is so well known by cats and boys and other irresponsible and consciousless persons is the reason why these birds are seen in cages where they sometimes sing a little just to pass the time away.

But let no member of the American Ornithologists' Union take advantage of this information, essaying to pocket any young mockers they may not set foot upon, for I am told that our laws have made it a crime to smuggle a mocking bird out of the state. This law, however, does not effect "skins."

Poor little mocker-boy! Note his great long legs and feet; for all the world making you think of the same features of a young colt. These members alone would equal in weight all the bones of an adult swallow's body; I haven't weighed either. It takes the wise heads to tell you such points as these.

This very day I was walking with my hands behind me, not bent on transgression of any sort, when suddenly my hair was pulled from behind and a mocker screamed in my ear. Always the rascal attacks me from behind if I am in the vicinity of the nest. He beats my shoulders with his wings, never my face. He has learned the workings of the human arm. You cannot catch him, though you feel the swish of his soft feathers. The second you turn he is saucing you from a tree. His treatment of cats and dogs who wander into our palisaded enclosure is the same. His especial animosity toward the feline race of every hue and pedigree is remarkable. And there is one time when the mocker does not confound me with the cat. This is in the early morning when he has raised the alarm of danger in the orchard. I seize my Remington and steal out. There crouches the marauder, whom I view in the same light as does the mocker, he (the mocker) sitting on a twig and

pointing the thief out to me with all his might and main and tongue. The cat sees me and slinks down the garden under cover of the bushes. Mocker keeps on a few feet ahead of the cat, leading me, screaming out "There he is!" "Now pull the trigger!" By dint of the bird's knowledge of things in connection with this early morning crusade he darts to one side exactly the second the cat tumbles over wondering what ails it. Then, the pitiless creature, the mocker, perches on a branch above the prostrate form of his foe, laughs, reproaches, triumphs, taunts and glories until decent burial takes place in the catacombs behind the barn. I resume my twilight slumbers conscious of duty done, by special consent of the chief of police. But I no more than close my eyes till that mocker sets up such a morning serenade as makes me hold my sides with laughing.

My neighbor amused himself last evening with a graphophone. Mocker heard the music and reproduces at least the metal twang of it to perfection. And he imitates my spring chickens, making them appear in dire distress, they meanwhile safe under the wing of the old hen. And he twitters like the little birds of his acquaintance, and like little birds he and I never dreamed of-then he carols and cries and beats invisible drums and "plays on the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery and dulcimar," according to Scripture, until I get up and spread the table for breakfast. The table is in the garden. The musician watches me, canting his head to look at my movements out of his near eye, keeping on at his minstrelsy. I place upon the board. bread and butter, doughnuts, pie, peach and fig preserves, cookies (let not the serious and dignified mouths of the American Ornithologists' Union water) and whatever else happens to be in the cupboard on the screen porch, according to our California customs. In a minute mocker is on that table and saying his grace, or rather swallowing his grace, with the breakfast he has unmistakably earned.

C

HINATOWN" in San Francisco is at all times a place of wonderful fascination to visitors from the eastern states. It is still more attractive when the Chinese celebrate their New Year, which occurs about a month later than our own.

What resident of the city has not noticed the first sign of the approaching ten days' festivities? While strolling through the quarter which harbors more than twenty five thousand Orientals, one cannot fail to see much scrubbing of floors and windows, the repainting of fantastic balconies in brilliant colors, the regilding and redraping of sign boards with red cotton cloth-the favorite material for festooning the hanging of oval cheesecloth lan

special displays of their finest silks, brocades and embroideries. Curio stores and dealers in antiques show their rarest imported carved ivories, bronzes, porcelains and jade ornaments. Venders of sweets and flowers engage space room on the edge of the sidewalks and erect booths for the sale of their wares. The

terns, curious paintings on silk, mottoes and a hundred and one other things which go to make their stores and homes look inviting to their friends.

While these important changes are being carried on, bazaars begin to make

It is best approached from the southern base of Nob Hill. From this distance come the first faint sounds of exploding firecrackers-as if to give warning of the coming bedlam at midnight. Then one inhales the delicate odor of

burning sandalwood-often mixed with the smoke of burnt gunpowder. Finally, is seen the warm glow of rows of many red-painted, bubble-shaped lanterns.

These are hanging from balconies and sheds, and are swaying to and fro in the gentle evening breeze. At this distance. they resemble the mythical fiery serpent so often seen in collections of old Japanese color prints. As one continues his entry into the quarter there will suddenly emerge from out of a dark corner a Chinaman wearing a shining metal badge on his coat. He will glide quickly up and salute the stranger with a jerky "How-do-you-do?" nod of his head, and say, "You likee guide tonight?"

He can be accepted, for he has been found competent and trustworthy, and therefore licensed to guide exploring parties through the district. His charges are moderate.

As Chinatown proper is entered the streets become narrower and are found to be lined with small, dirty-white, innumerable canvas booths. Each has a kerosine lamp which sheds weak rays of light on the owner's stock of sweet-scented blooming lilies, candied watermelons, lemons, grapefruit, ginger root, salted seeds, curiously decorated cakes, great lengths of sugar cane and other sweets so dear to the Oriental's palate.

Now it is becoming difficult to reach the heart of Chinatown, so crowded are the sidewalks with Chinese hastening to make their final household purchases before the shops close; to carry New Year's offerings to friends or masters, or to liquidate their past year's debts-an obligatory custom not a law. Hundreds of out-of-town visitors and white residents of San Francisco also help to swell the great crowds.

Here and there on corners are Chinese fortune tellers surrounded by the curious awaiting their chance for the wise-looking, huge-spectacled man to retail them "good luck" at so much per. A slab of pewter, a brush and pot of India ink, and the gift of good imagination are the man's only stock in trade.

A few enterprising Americans invade the quarter with "side shows" and clever "spielers," and coin money by exhibiting to the unwary celestials such fakes as "the wonderful merman from the deep sea," "the only mummified joss in ex

istence" and other hand-made strosities.

mon

The picturesque balconies of one of the joss houses loom up in the semidarkness and a visit is made there. On the walls of the entrance hall are posted hundreds of orange-colored slips of paper four inches by twelve, each with black characters painted thereon. These are put there by devout Chinese who avail themselves of this season to settle their accounts with the gods. The devotion room is on the top floor. Elaborately carved, teakwood furniture fills the rooms. Gorgeous silken banners cover the walls. Costly bronze, porcelain and pewter vases stand on the altar in front of the several gilded and lacquered josses. Certain jars are filled with sandal-wood ashes and have dozens of incense sticks burning, thrust in them. The heavy odor is overpowering and often causes sight-seers to seek the cool balcony whose edges are lined with pots of asters, chrysanthemums and lilies. A splendid view of life in the streets below can be obtained from one of these pretty balconies. The largest cloth lanterns in Chinatown hang from the ceiling of this porch.

The theater building is next sighted. To reach the stage upon which all white visitors sit, one must walk along underground passageways, then through the actors' living rooms and finally the general dressing rooms. Soon one is almost deafened by the sounds of crashing symbols, squeeky violins and other musical instruments. During the holidays a special play is put on and costumed in a sumptuous manner. The sight of the gowns worn by the female impersonators (there are no women actresses) are alone worth the fifty cents charged for admission.

This year the play related to a man who was considered extremely lucky. Each night for ten consecutive nights he tried his hand at games of chance and won enormous sums. In fact, whatever he did proved entirely successful. Chinese visiting the theater are seated in the pit. Women are huddled together in stuffy little gallery boxes, regardless of their being escorted to the theater by their husbands or owners.

Leaving this interesting place a call is made to the Chinese telephone stationthe only one of its kind in America. Here

speak two languages-English and Chinese. These furnish calls for the company's Chinatown patrons. When a merchant wants to speak with a friend he does not ask central for Main 3196, he simply mentions his friend's name, One Lung Tom or Yu Sing High, and the operator makes the connection instantly. The room is a spacious one and is fitted up in true Oriental fashion. Costly lanterns hang from the ceiling, paintings and mottoes adorn the walls and tea always hot-is served to thirsty patrons, who use the telephone stalls. In one corner is a shrine with a gilded joss in the center and burning punks set in jars by its side.

One is next directed to a school where twenty almond-eyed, rosy-cheeked tots are heard

reciting their

lessons in uni

son. Each word

or sentence is repeated many times until it is fully memorized. Leaving them, one ascends a long flight of stairs to visit the office of a Chinese daily pa

川大

正

ionable. Here a merchant is entertaining his friends at dinner. In one private room are counted thirty guests seated at round inlaid tables. Through the gilded lattice-work partitions the musicians can be seen discoursing weird music on their som yuns (banjos), yut kuns (mandolins), woo karms (violins), diaks (horns) and gnoos (drums). The banqueters have been sitting there just five hours, and the thirty-third course has been served. Women are conspicuous by their absence. The genial guide, when asked about this, sim

paper-there are several publications in the Chinese language here. Coolie compositors are found busy setting up type while others are engaged in work necessary to getting out the morning's edition. The drug store is a very curious place to visit. The customer states his case and the proprietor hands him a package of herbs; a portion of a deer horn, the dried skin of a gray lizard and a few small, preserved green-backed beetles.

Next one enters a "high-toned" restaurant and walks up to the third or top floor, which is considered the most fash

ply replied in

茨

an off-hand

P

月

way, "This alle same stag business."

Other equally interesting

sights are the

factory where all the bright

ly-colored lanterns are made, the Presbyterian Chinese Rescue Home for slave women, the Chinese Salvation Army headquarters, the club for Chinese gentlemen (conducted by a white man), the offices of the Six Companies and jewelry, junk and pawn

shops.

Shortly before midnight wooden shutters are slammed against the outside show windows and made secure. Red curtains are tightly drawn across the doors and all goods are quickly hidden away on top shelves, for Chinatown is being boxed up for ten days.

When all merchandise has disappeared from the counters, pyramids of sweets and bottles of sam shu (Chinese wine) are brought forth and placed on tables. For a background these tables have a huge hand-painted portrait of the joss, Gar Quoon, in green, red and gold colors.