"They have a bird here of the buzzard species which is of great assistance in cleaning the streets; he is called 'the adjutant' by the English residents, and, as nobody thinks of doing him any harm, he walks about fearlessly, and sometimes you see him in the very middle of a crowd of natives. A gentleman tells us that when these birds become troublesome around the barracks of the soldiers, several tricks are played upon them. The soldiers will take a couple of bones and tie them together with six or eight feet of strong cord; the bones are then flung to a couple of adjutants, and each manages to swallow one. When the birds find themselves united they rise in the air and endeavor to fly, and their efforts to separate themselves are very amusing to the soldiers. Finding they cannot do it, they come to the ground again, and somebody cuts the string and releases them. "When the adjutant has eaten something, he mounts to the top of a post or some other elevated spot, crosses his legs, and becomes motionless while his food is digesting. The soldiers take advantage of this habit by digging the marrow from a beef-bone, and inserting a cartridge in the hollow thus formed. Over the cartridge they put a piece of lighted punk or tinder, and then a cork, and when all is ready they throw the bone to an adjutant who is just finishing his dinner. Finding there is nothing more to eat, the bird mounts a post, and goes to sleep in his usual way; in a little while the fire reaches the cartridge and an explosion follows, resulting in the instant death of the unfortunate bird. Of late years this amusement has been forbidden, greatly to the credit of the officers commanding the garrisoned places. "We have kept our eyes open to see the native ladies of Calcutta, but have not been very fortunate. Nineteen-twentieths of the natives on the streets are men, and the few women that come out so that we can look at them are of the poorer classes. We have seen some rich ladies riding in carriages, and now and then we encounter a cart drawn by a pair of bullocks, and moving at a dignified pace with a native lady seated inside. The canopy above her head partially conceals her from view, and then we do not think it exactly polite to look at her more than a few seconds at a time. These are probably the wives of wealthy merchants; they spend most of their time at home, and only come out for a ride on very fine days, or to visit the shops where handsome things are for sale. Their garments are generally white, and there does not appear to be any change of fashions among them more than among the men. [Illustration: NATIVE WOMAN OF BENGAL.]