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niissariat Babu brought up for me from Calcutta. If 

 I start on them Mr. Editor will be wanting to rename 

 this effusion, and indeed, as it is, my readers will be 

 wondering where Calcutta comes in, and what is my 

 idea of brevity. However the title includes collecting, 

 and I shield myself under that. On the way back 

 Pindi produced two young Budgerigars (both turned 

 out cocks) for Rs. 12 (16 shillings) and a few Canaries 

 I did not really want. This was at the end of 1903. 



Then followed unproductive letters and unpro- 

 ductive visits to Lahore and Pindi. my total bag con- 

 sisting of a few Indians and a pair of Cockatiels for 

 which I gave Rs.15 and exchange which he had the 

 nerve to sell in the station for Rs.io (this happened 

 on the only occasion a dealer visited this place). By 

 the way Rs.15 equal £1, 16 annas or pence to the 

 rupee. During the summer of 1904 my aviaries were 

 being built, and no birds to be got. Small finches, 

 especially Zebras, became almost a nightmare, and if 

 the Lahore dealer had had a grain of sense and enter- 

 prise, he could have made a small fortune. But thank 

 goodness, he had only one idea, to buy what was 

 cheapest in hopes of being able to sell dear and his 

 cheapest did not suit me even sold cheap. 



In October 1904, as usual, we went to camp for 

 manoeuvres to stay to the end of February, Hushiarpur, 

 near Jullundur, being the scene of conflict that year. 

 My aviaries, which the contractors swore to have 

 finished by August, only wanted a bit of glazing work 

 and the flight wire, and were to be ready by our return, 

 so more schemes to get birds were projected and more 

 letters written further afield. I spent ten days, 

 Christmas leave with my family, who were to accom- 



