337 



iiig the rarer birds, Ihrongh the kindness of Mr. Ezra, whose 

 acquaintance I should not otherwise have made. 



Lost two Sivasand two Hanging Parrakeetsahuost at once, 

 before going into camp at the end of the montli, where we 

 stayed till the beginning of March, and cruel bad weather we 

 had. 1 had one large tent as a dressing room and private 

 ofl&ce, but to the casual observer it looked more like a bird and 

 dog room. I kept a Sunrise oil stove burning at nights and 

 sometimes b\' day and do not think the birds suffered from 

 cold, though I did lose the White-eyes and the vSivas and a few 

 small birds. The latter I am sure died from getting paddy rice 

 stuck in their throats, I have had other losses since from that 

 cause, and I fear tiie others died from want of suitable food. I 

 ought not to have tried them under the circumstances, but I 

 could hardly forsee that we should be so long in camp and that 

 my fool of a uiali, left in charge of the house, would be unable 

 to find and send down the insect food I left in Bakloh. 



Of course I now wanted more and I'm afraid I rather 

 worried Mr. Kzra with letters as to birds and how to get them 

 vip. He gave me news of birds, saying that Scott was expect- 

 ing a good consignment of Australian birds in my line, sending 

 me the price list, but was sorry he could give me no help in 

 bringing them up, ])ut would see them off if I could send a 

 man or make any arrangement. P'ortunately on the list were 

 Bull Terriers and onr doctor happened to see the list and 

 wanting a dog, suggested that my man should go at our joint 

 expense. I had been rather shying off more expensive journeys 

 so soon after my Christmas trip, so this suited me well, when 

 the doctor was suddenly ordered off to a frontier station and 

 spoilt the idea of shared expenses. However in the meantime 

 I had begun to fanc\' those birds already in my aviary, so only 

 waited the arrival of the birds in Calcutta to send my man 

 down. 



Fortunately this happened just after onr return to Bakloh, 

 but I, before the arrival of the birds, had to go to Lahore to play 

 football for the Gurkha Cup (at my age) and met the birds 

 returning at Pathankote on my way down. They were beauties, 

 and thanks to Mr. Kzra's kindness and care had travelled 



