62 THE ODYSSEY OF AN ANIMAL COLLECTOR 
lection of birds and mammals and that, with the Director’s 
sanction, they were housed temporarily in the Zoo. Further, we 
were in charge of them and if we were not allowed to get to them 
early they would die. This explanation might have been aimed 
at one of the Zoo animals for all the effect it had; the officers were 
unyielding and insisted that no one was allowed in the grounds 
that day. After further explanations about the importance of feed- 
ing certain delicate birds early in the morning, and without mak- 
ing the least impression upon the law, I became slightly heated 
at their impossible attitude. They, too, were becoming wildly 
excited at our audacity in arguing. When for the umpteenth time 
one of them insisted that no one was allowed in on that day, I 
replied: “In that case what are you doing here? I am as much 
on duty as you.” Then the fun started. They drew their truncheons 
and gesticulated wildly. 
At this stage I saw the folly of further argument, and so we 
meekly made our way under escort to the gate where a small 
gathering was watching the drama. The only thing left was to 
find the Director. His servant informed us that he was still in 
bed, but I insisted on seeing him, and presently he appeared in 
his pajamas and I explained our dilemma. He, at least, was most 
sympathetic and we were asked to wait while he dressed. The 
second meeting with the police officers took on an entirely differ- 
ent air. Now that we were with the Director they were most 
apologetic; if only they had known that we had come in to look 
after our livestock they would never have interfered—so they said. 
Some of our birds went to Monsieur Delacour’s aviaries at 
Cléres, and the rest we took to London, where they were dis- 
tributed between a few well-known aviculturists and the London 
Zoo. 
