The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-07
A RARE DAY In MARCH.
Sunday Sights and Scenes in
Golden Gate Park.
Some Facts About Ducks Furnished by Wise
Man-Race Prejudice Among tho
Stately Swans.

Once upon time, the exact date Of which
cannot be recalled, the poet. James Russell
Lowell. suddenly and without warning.
after the manner of poets and other in
spired thinkers, rapturously exclaimed:
What is SO rare as day in June?"
There was no one there to hear Mr..
Lowell exclaiE, but the remark. with sew
eral others, subsequently found its way into
tie papers, where il attracted widespread
attention. both on account Of the sentiment
expressed and certain ambiguity of
meaning
Yesterday was rare day in March. None
could have been rarer anywhere but in the
glorious climate of California; here the ten-
derest flower and the midsummer vest bloom
side by side before the chilblain season
closes in less favored regions.
As If by ones impulse the population of
San Francisco fed from the confines OF its
four walls to Golden Gate Park, holding on
10 perspiring child with one hand and
street-car strap with the other.
A CROWDED PARK.
They poured in from all directions, thou
sands of them, until the spacious park was
actually crowded. Everybody that could
walk, creep or crawl, be carried in arms or
go on wheels, moved in endless procession,
dressed in their best suit of Clothes along
the rust-coored drives and pathways that
a background of green.
Back and forth they went through the
tunnel and over the new red bridge in end
less cavalcade. Fat Old ladies waddled and
rolled laboriousiy along under the blazing
sun, accompanied by stout elderly gentle
men, some of them with hard, toil-stained
hands, who, bent on enjoying that rare day
in March 20 the utmost, actually came to
Golden Gate Park of Sunday without their
collars.
EcAa mad 10 d,11o.
air, which might or might not have been as
fresh as that which blew in from the sea,
but none noted the difference, If any ex-
listed.
Then they went to the hydrant. where
they watered the children, Next they sat
OH the grass to rest and watch other folks
tire themselves out; strolled round to where
the elephants perform; stopped to look at
the ducks ia pond near the Haight-street
entrance and then went eff home refreshed
in mind If not in body, and fully impressed
with the belief that by the time one of those
rare days in June rolls round it will, in the
light of previous events, be looked upon as
a chestnut.
AS is customary in all large gatherings
the man who knows it all was at the park
ready to diffuse general information regard
less of his own time or personal convent
enee and CD the slightest provocatOn. He
was loahDg near the pond where the ducks,
as is their wont, were standing on their
in the mud at the bottom. and with stubby
tails waving in the air like signals of dis
tNss.
CHILD's CURIOSITY.
little child also standing near asked
her mamma why the ducks acted that way
The mother replied that she didn't ex-
actly know, and then the wise man spoke
up:
- If You'll excuse me. madam" he said,
Il IL tell the little girl all about 1t
The mother said she would be delighted,
so the man went ahead and aired his knowl-
edge.
"You see. little girl, ducks are furnished
with appettes-a debt they owe TO nature
and they stick their heads under water in
order to liqudate their bills"
The little girl and her mamma said "Oh."
and passed on TO the next bird, which hap
pened to be the pelican.
According TO scientists fish diet In
ereases the brain power; but the pelican,
which lives exclusively on fish, is not par
ticuiarly noted for lis intelligence. On the
contrary, IL is extremely stupid in some
respects. Sometimes, when resting on the
banks OF the pond, ii places one of its large
pan-like feet on top OF the other. thus
standing on itself for hours This dense
biped links IL is rooted to the spot, and so
firm is its conviction on this point thar it
remains motionless until the bird keeper
comes round and pushes the stupid pelican
from of itself.
In one respect the pelican is the brainiest
bird OF its species, and that is in carrying a
lunch VIXEN it takes journey inland. The
food is carried in the iunch-bag with which
the under side of the bill is provided.
SWANS DRAW THE COLOR LINE
The swans which inhabit this same pond
are perhaps the brainest bipeds On record.
There are two kinds of swans in the pond
black and white-and. like the featherless
bipeds who are supposed TO reason, they
have drawn a color line which j. sharply
.f1x,. e. -
of the pond.
Race prejudice exists, but as yet no deadly
conflicts have been reported. The blacks
stay closely in their end of the pond and
the whites in theirs. They never mingle
but view each other with lofty disdain,
most of which disdain, however, is on the
part Of the whites. The water in both ends
OF the pond is the same, and as yet the all