198 LORD LILFORD 



have to expect from the crippled old freebooter 

 (not corvine) upon whom you are good enough to 

 smile indulgently. I once had eight Red- billed 

 Choughs flying about here, at perfect liberty, 

 and perfectly tame. A friend — one of the men 

 (of whom you have, no doubt, met several) who 

 always have the best horse, the best dog, 

 the best boots, &c, &c. — was staying with 

 us on one occasion, and told me that he 

 had brought with him two boxes of perfectly 

 unique cigars, " the best known," of course, but 

 not quite dry enough for smoking, and where 

 could he most conveniently expose them to dry 

 in the sun ? It was the height of summer, and 

 I could not think of a better place than the 

 dressing-table in his bedroom — on the second 

 floor, with a S.E. exposure ; he spread the 

 cigars accordingly, and went out for the whole 

 day. You may imagine his feelings on going 

 up to dress for dinner, and finding that the 

 Choughs had paid a domiciliary visit to his 

 room and not left one cigar, the whole room 

 being virtually smothered with snuff, bealiii&c- 

 tured by these lovely birds, and dispersed by 

 a gentle breeze from the window ! 



