[Illustration: HALF-A-DOZEN ORANGES TRAVELLING DOWN THE THROAT OF A
CALIFORNIAN OSTRICH.
_From a Photograph._]
It is questionable if any animal on earth could duplicate the swallowing
feat that is to be seen daily (or as often as a tourist comes along) at
the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena, California. The ostriches on
this farm are veritable giants of their race, having responded generously
to the genial climate, good food, and scientific care. Oranges are one of
their great dainties--the big “navel” oranges of California, measuring
upwards of three and a half inches in diameter. One old patriarch named
“Emperor William” will catch the oranges one after another, full ten feet
above the ground, until an even dozen may be seen at the same time slowly
bumping down his long expanse of neck, to be finally lost in the ruffle of
feathers where neck and body join! “William” has been known to gulp
thirty-five or forty oranges in succession, and the fact that he is in
robust health at twenty-three years of age seems to indicate that
California oranges agree with him.
[Illustration: THE UBIQUITOUS GAME--A NATIVE OF BHUTAN PLAYING “DIABOLO”
AT DARJEELING.
_From a Photograph._]
An Indian reader writes: “I enclose a photograph which I recently took
whilst paying a visit to the Indian hill station of Darjeeling. The
picture represents a Bhutia, or native of Bhutan, playing ‘Diabolo.’
Although the game has made big strides both at home and abroad, I think
that probably Darjeeling, at an altitude of seven thousand feet,
represents the highest point it has touched at present.”
[Illustration: LOVE-MAKING IN MEXICO--THIS YOUNG MAN HAS PATIENTLY WAITED
UNDER THE WINDOW OF HIS INAMORATA UNTIL SHE CHOSE TO COME TO THE GRATING
AND SPEAK TO HIM.
_From a Photograph._]
In Spanish-speaking countries young women are allowed but little of the
liberty that they enjoy in lands where English is the native tongue. They
rarely meet young men at social entertainments, and are never permitted to
converse with them except in the presence of older people. They do, of
course, contrive to carry on flirtations, but chiefly with the eyes. In
every town in a Spanish-speaking country there is a _plaza_, where a band
plays on one or two evenings of the week. The young men and women
congregate there, the former walking round and round in one direction and
the latter in the opposite direction. Thus they are constantly meeting and
making eyes at each other, but they do not pair off or sit down on the
benches together. When a young man wants to pay his attentions to a girl,
he must get notes smuggled to her or “play the bear”--that is, stand under
the window of her room and try to attract her attention, either by
serenading her with some musical instrument, or, if he has no gift that
way, by simply waiting patiently until she chances to look out and cast
him an encouraging glance. In spite, however, of all difficulties and
obstacles, Cupid contrives to find a way, and young people fall in love
and marry just as in lands where etiquette is less strict and
opportunities for _tête-à-tête_ conversations more frequent.
[Illustration: A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS ON THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER OF
INDIA--THEY COVERED THE HILLS FOR MILES, STRIPPED ALL THE LEAVES OFF THE
TREES, AND IN SOME CASES EVEN ATE THE BARK!
_From a Photograph._]
The striking little photograph above was sent by Colonel the Hon. H. E.
Maxwell, D.S.O., from the remote post of Cherat, on the North-West
frontier of India. “It was taken during a flight of locusts,” he writes.
“They covered the hills for miles in every direction, and during their two
or three days’ stay caused enormous damage to the few trees and shrubs
with which we are blessed, stripping them entirely of their leaves, and in
some cases even eating away the bark!”
[Illustration: THE MAP-CONTENTS OF “THE WIDE WORLD MAGAZINE,” WHICH SHOWS
AT A GLANCE THE LOCALITY OF EACH ARTICLE AND NARRATIVE OF ADVENTURE IN
THIS NUMBER.]