154 



Well, my first effort was a casual stroll "down East," 

 as we lyondoiiers call it, and, as I quite expected to 

 return with the object of my expedition, I set out in an 

 unduly optimistic state of mind, and with my puise in 

 lu}' pocket. vSome of the dealers informed me at once, 

 that they had not the bird I wanted, but this was not the 

 right answer : others were more reflective, and looked 

 at their stock before the negative was given, while one 

 (it was an old lady, I remember) was sorry she had not a 

 Madagascar, but, she added brightly, that she should be 

 having some " small stuff" (!) in next week, and I might 

 look in then. 



My ramble on that afternoon was comparativel}' 

 tame, but on a later occasion I made a wider circuit, and 

 and with similar results until I called at a shop I had 

 heard of through an advertisement. The owner was 

 engaged in trying to burrow under some packing cases 

 when I entered, at least so it seemed, but on enquir}- I 

 learnt he was looking for a hammer. My facetious 

 suggestion that he should look in his tool box, provoked 

 a " Wajerwant ? " so I explained ; and a " There y' are," 

 and a wave of the hand, indicated a long narrow cage 

 filled with a fluttering mass of birds, and he continued 

 his burrowing operations. I was sorr}' for the poor 

 birds, but could not see a Madasgascar, and said so. A 

 muffled reply came from the boxes, but the numberless 

 twitterings prevented me from hearing the remark. A 

 minute later the man backed out, triumphantly bringing 

 the hammer with him, so I congratulated him, and asked 

 what his reply was. " Why, there 's any amount of 'em," 

 he said; '"ere," he added good naturedl}', " I'll get yer 

 one," and plunged his hand into the cage, and brought 

 out about half-a-dozen struggling birds. "There," he 

 continued, retaining a Red-l)illetl Weaver, and throwing 

 the others back, "feel 'im, fat as butler, ain't he.?" (by 

 the w^ay, this seems a favourite remark in the trade). 

 " Yes, but that's not a Madagascar," I replied, "a Mada- 

 gascar is a red bird, with blackish wings and tail." 

 "Well, so 's this, ain't it ? " said he, " ju.st coming into 



