n American
Ornithology."

I told him he had better take Audubon home with him that night, and
perhaps by studying him attentively he would see occasion to change his
mind.

The next day, the old naturalist called at my office and remarked:

"Mr. B., those pigeons are a more rare bird than you imagine. They are
not mentioned by Linnaeus, Cuvier, Goldsmith, or any other writer on
Natural History, so far as I have been able to discover. I expect they
must have come from some unexplored portion of Australia."

"Never mind," I replied, "we may get more light on the subject, perhaps,
before long. We will continue to label them 'California Pigeons' until
we can fix their nativity elsewhere."

The next, morning, "Old Grizzly Adams," whose exhibition of bears was
then open in Fourteenth street, happened to be passing through the
Museum, when his eyes fell on the "Golden California Pigeons." He looked
a moment and doubtless admired. He soon after came to my office.

"Mr. B," said he, "you must let me have those California pigeons."

"I can't spare them," I replied.

"But you _must_ spare them. All the birds and animals from California
ought to be together. You own half of my California menagerie, and you
must lend me those pigeons."

"Mr. Adams, they are too rare and valuable a bird to be hawked about in
that manner; besides, I expect they will attract considerable attention
here."

"Oh, don't be a fool," replied Adams. "Rare bird, indeed! Why, they are
just as common in California as any other pigeon! I could have brought a
hundred of them from San Francisco, if I had thought of it."

"But why did you not think of it?" I asked, with a suppressed smile.

"Because they are _so common_ there," said Adams. "I did not think they
would be any curiosity here. I have eaten them in pigeon-pies hundreds
of times, and shot them by the thousand!"

I was ready to burst with laughter to see how readily Adams swallowed
the bait, but maintaining the most rigid gravity, I replied:

"Oh well, Mr. Adams, if they are really so common in California, you had
probably better take them, and you may write over and have half a dozen
pairs sent to me for the Museum."

"All right," said Adams; "I will send over to a friend in San Francisco,
and you shall have them here in a couple of months."

I told Adams that, for certain reasons, I would prefer to change the
label so as to have it read: "Golden Pigeons from Australia."

"Well, call