1 66 FEATHERED FRIENDS. 



the household frantic 1 No wonder either, for although 

 I had partly guessed how it would be, remembering 

 the Swainsons' efforts in the same direction, I had 

 taken the precaution to lay down a newspaper in 

 front of the Pigmies' cage. But goodness gracious 1 

 I should have covered the whole of the floor. 



How such a small creature, or a pair of such small 

 creatures, for they are not bigger than a full-grown 

 Cock-Sparrow, could contrive to accomplish what they 

 did, was to me inexplicable. Before long, however, I 

 found out the modus operandi, which consisted in clinging 

 on to the front bars of the cage and well, the room 

 was just over fourteen feet in width, and the wall 

 opposite the cage had been defiled! 



What was to be done? The first thing, naturally, 

 was to closely cover the cage round with newspapers; 

 but then, what a life for the birds, sinners against 

 decorum and cleanliness though they were I Why, oh 

 why had they not been left to adorn their natal woods r 

 But it was no use asking such a question then; they 

 were not in their native forest, revelling among the 

 "spicy breezes" of Ceylon, but in my breakfast-room 

 worse luck! as an Irishman would say and the 

 odours that "paraded" the establishment were, as the 

 cook declared, anything but spicy. 



"Wring their necks 1" one suggested. 



"Send them back", advised another. 



"Let them fly away", said a third. 



