loves nothing better than an argument, but he always ends it by
getting rude. He is a real city bird. In London he lives around
St. Paul's Cathedral. 'Cheapside,' we call him."

"Are all these birds from the country round here?" I asked.

"Most of them," said the Doctor. "But a few rare ones visit me
every year who ordinarily never come near England at all. For
instance, that handsome little fellow hovering over the
snapdragon there, he's a Ruby-throated Humming-bird. Comes from
America. Strictly speaking, he has no business in this climate
at all. It is too cool. I make him sleep in the kitchen at
night. Then every August, about the last week of the month, I
have a Purple Bird-of-Paradise come all the way from Brazil to
see me. She is a very great swell. Hasn't arrived yet of course.
And there are a few others, foreign birds from the tropics
mostly, who drop in on me in the course of the summer months. But
come, I must show you the zoo."



THE TENTH CHAPTER

THE PRIVATE ZOO

I DID not think there could be anything left in that garden which
we had not seen. But the Doctor took me by the arm and started
off down a little narrow path and after many windings and
twistings and turnings we found ourselves before a small door in
a high stone wall. The Doctor pushed it open.