194 



know the combatants, " Shoreditch Bobby " and "the 

 Kingsland Roarer," to be "stunners." All love a good 

 match, especially when it becomes known that the 

 winner will "stand" a gallon or two of beer to his 

 friends who grace the meeting with their presence. The 

 stakes, of a sovereign each, are already handed over to 

 the genial host, and the time for the finches to be "on 

 the nail" is fixed for eight p.m. precisely. 



At last the long expected hour approaches. The bar 

 is full, and the parlor nearl}- so. There are a few women 

 enjoying their " quarterns," some carrying the inevitable 

 baby ; and a crowd of men, whose short black pipes are 

 not likely to get cold again that evening. Many of 

 them are loaded with one or two square parcels wrapped 

 in colored neckkerchiefs, from which issue the songs of 

 various birds— Linnets, Goldfinches, Mules, and Chaff- 

 finches. Possibly further singing contests are now being 

 fixed. 



In the parlor all the gas-jets are lighted, but have 

 some troul)le to penetrate the fumes of tobacco, beer, etc. 

 At last the contesting parties enter, each dressed in his 

 Sunday best. The host conducts them through the 

 welcoming crowd to two reserved tables, and attends 

 personally to the wants of the honored guests. Then, 

 with much noise and unnecessary reiteration, order is 

 requested. Naturally the various songsters before 

 mentioned, excited by the general hubbub, have been 

 noisier than ever, and are now relegated to darkness in 

 another room, to quiet them ; only the two principals 

 remain, closely covered up. 



The two markers take their places, and as the clock 

 strikes, the two cages are uncovered and hung up. The 

 battlers look round for a moment, shake their plumage, 

 whet their beaks, and one may take a grain of seed, but 

 before it is cracked he hears a familiar call-note uttered 

 by his opponent. Immediately he replies b}^ a full 

 strophe of his song, to which the other answers with 

 fuller power. Before each marker is already a stroke of 

 his chalk, and now the combat is fairly started. The 



