i68 A Seeker after Bird Marts. 



liandciiffed on to minute swings, in your face, dragg'ini^- birds, 

 unknown to fame, out by claw for inspection, thrustini^ aside 

 birds you were choosing- with difficuhy, and making the amateur 

 Hindustani speaker feel thoroughly ill at ease. 



My usual impression is that a really successful Ijird mart, 

 or shop, must be in close proximity to coal wharfs, or at least 

 have a faint aureole of coal dust round it. 



In Colombo, in Marseilles, in Port Said, this peculiarity 

 l)revailed, or if not coal dust, or sand, a strange atmosphere 

 I)ervaded, if not seen, often strongly felt on a hot day. In 

 any case the locality is remote and grimy. 



At Port Said I found only some Manunoth Crested Larks, 

 in dozens, whereas I had hoped for some rare African Finches, 

 or Weavers to make up the job lot of Weavers hastily gathered 

 in Marseilles, said to be the last coming in, as it was the early 

 days of the war. I took them out East, and was greatly 

 mystified by them until they began to come into colour, as I 

 had no books of reference till later. I believe it is better to 

 go in for this sport in considerable ignorance. 



The thrills I experienced in Bombay when I was offered 

 Rangoon Bulbuls," which were delightful and taking crested 

 birds — so handsome in glossy black and chestnut-red and when 

 they turn out to be Buntings {Melophus mclanictcrus), caught 

 locally, they are none the less delightful. This is a showy, 

 graceful bird in a big aviary. 



The same man offered me " Basra Bulbuls," which 

 doubtless came from the nearest cold climate in India. 



In Agra, they sold me " Nepali Shamas," intelligent, 

 beautiful birds, but proving to be Black-headed Sibias ! They 

 were the best of pals and the sweetest birds I have kept, accom- 

 panied Ijy a " Thrush," said to come from some obscure 

 province, which was in reality a rather dingy, slatey, mottled 

 Babbler, who became the unfailing Clown and Court Fool of 

 every cage or aviary he lived in. They offered me two price- 

 less birds called " The Sun " and " The Moon," so talented 

 and rare that I hesitated at asking their price, and. noticing that 

 " The Moon." was in a species of fit. or eclipse, I pleaded 

 poverty, and turned to a lovely Scimitar Babbler, but failed to 

 buy him. I think the others were really Pied Mynahs 



