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Indian corn, planted on a Monday evening, on the following

Wednesday morning will be four inches above ground—within

a period, as he carefully sa)^, of thirty-six hours! I don’t dis¬

believe him ; but I like to get a great strong man and a Consul

of His Britannic Majesty to say it for me. Well, that is how I

felt about that dealer’s stories. I am myself, as Hans Bretmann

says, “ still skebdigal.”


I often stand and admire the marvellous skill which a

dealer I know displays in catching Parrots. Now, in parrot-

catching there are two players ; and the one wins that gets hold

first. I fancy that the golden rule in the game is invincible

courage. As Captain Boler, of Bony, used to say, “ Never be

afraid of a Parrot if you can help it; but never show it anyhow.”

It is difficult, I grant you, but the only safe road.


To be a really successful bird buyer you must have no

what our American cousins call “blooming modesty.” When

the dealer names a price, boldly make him a bid, but don’t be

shocked at what follows. Probably if you turned blue all over,

with yellow spots, he would not assume a more astonished look.

His feelings will fly ahead of his command of language—great

as that is, and he will expectorate with profound feeling and

expression ; his expressive countenance will be a perfect battle

ground of despair and grief at his being thus asked to lower

trade prices, but in the end he will control his feelings sufficiently

to meet your wishes, and the affair will be amicably settled.


Let me mention a little incident that once happened to

myself. I had bought a certain bird of a certain dealer who

shall be nameless. It arrived dead. I carefully cut a nick out of

its tail and returned it; at the same time asking for a live one

in place of it. Next day I received back what purported to be a

new one ; but, on examining it, lo! it was dead too, and its tail

zvas nicked. I wrote to that dealer in a kind and fatherly manner,

and the purport of my remarks resembled the words of Bret

Harte on a not dissimilar occasion :


Which is why I remark—


And my language is plain—


That for ways that are dark

And for tricks that are vain

My bird dealer friend is peculiar;


Which the same I am free to maintain.


Let me give one other very funny scene from dealer life.

Some time ago there lived three rivals in the avicultural world.

We will call them A., B., and C., and all apparently had more

money than sense. Dealers soon got to know their little ways,



