The only inhabitants of the capital not liable to the inspection of the police are the crows and pigeons. These birds abound there to an astonishing extent. They fly about free and undisturbed every where. The crows congregate in the greatest numbers at the Anitshkoff Palace in the Nevskoi Prospekt, where many thousands often assemble in the evening to edify the passing public with their loud and earnest conversations. It has been noticed that they always perch upon a green roof in preference to a black or red one ; perhaps the green may seem to bear more affinity to the foliage of the trees they love to build among. The pigeons are sacred in the eyes of every Russian ; and as no one would dare to harm them, they become so bold, that they walk carelessly about among a crowd in search of their food, and scarcely make way either for a carnage or a footpassenger. Nevertheless, they are in a halfwild and neglected condition, and build their nests chiefly about the roofs of the churches. They have their nests also under the roofs of the markets, and particularly among the columns of Gostinnoi Dvor, where the merchants in their hours of leisure take a great delight in feeding and caressing them. In the inner courts of the houses of St. Petersburg there are always large holes or boxes that serve as receptacles for every kind of dirt and rubbish which it is thought desirable to remove to the outside of the house. About these filthy boxes there may at times be seen whole swarms of pigeons feeding on all kinds of garbage, and the only wonder is that the Russians should retain any affection for birds that degenerate so woefully in Russia as to fight, like so many wolves, for putrid meat and fish entrails. Nevertheless, it is thought a species of sacrilege to kill a pigeon. Boys may sometimes indeed be seen running about with sticks, to the end of which cords -are fastened, and to the end of the cord a button or a stone. This cord they throw dexterously round the necks of the pigeons, as the South Ajnericans tlirow their lasso round the neck of an ox. The pigeons thus caught are sold to the profane Germans, who are said to convert the holy birds into heathenish ragouts, or to bake them in sacrilegious pies.
The vast space occupied by a Russian city, with its broad endless streets, and its wide waste public squares and places, makes it probable that the institution of hackney-carriages is one of very remote origin in Russia. In other countries, the convenience is one known only to large towns ; but in Russia, such is the aversion of the people to walking, that, as soon as a few thousand human beings have been collected into the same vicinage, a due supply of isvoshtshiks becomes one of the most urgent wants of the new community. From this, some notion may be formed of the army of isvoshtshiks collected tog-ether on the pavement of the capital. They are estimated, in some statistical returns I have seen, at 8000. In some quarters you may see hundreds at one glance ; and when we consider that the length of all the streets of St. Petersburg amounts to nearly 400 versts, it cannot be an extravagant estimate to reckon twenty-five hackney-carriages to every verst.
We have already seen that there are in one place in St. Petersburg three houses, side by side, to pass which on foot will occupy a man a good half hour. A morning visit, a dinner, and an evening visit, might cost him his whole day. In winter the streets are full of a deep snow dust, foi-med of the numberless crystals of ice that are constantly undergoing the process of being ground up into fine powder, and through which it is about as tedious to Avade as through the sands of Sahara. The rude northern blast, moreover, that ranges uncontrolled through the wide airy streets, makes every man glad enough to creep into a sledge, where he may draw his mantle over his face, and wrap himself, head and all, in furs. In spring, one-half of St. Petersburg is a mere bog, and in summer the intolerable dust actually stops one's breath, and relaxes all the muscles of the feet. No wonder, therefore, that the most resolute pedestrian soon grows tired of using his own feet in St. Petersburg, and in utter despair roars out his " Davai ! Isvoshtshik !" to the first droshky stand.