80 THE GUNMAKERS' WINDOWS. CHAP. v. 



tures and picture books, which were usually exposed 

 for sale on market days. 



The gunmakers' windows were also a source of 

 attraction, for they often had stuffed birds exhibited 

 in them. There was also a window devoted entirely to 

 stuffed birds near the entrance to the police office in 

 Watch Lane, and another in Meal Market Lane, both 

 of which attracted a large share of his attention. The 

 sight of these things first gave Edward the idea of 

 preserving animals. The first beast he stuffed was a 

 mole, and he was very proud of it. 



The shoemaking trade having become very flat, Ed- 

 ward left Shoe Lane after having been there for about 

 twenty months. He then went to work at a shop on 

 the Lime Quay, near the harbour. He had steady work 

 there for some time, at set wages. Though he had 

 less time to attend to his natural history pursuits, he 

 still managed to attend to his garden and his " family," 

 as his mother termed his maingie* of beasts. Trade 

 again recovering, he went back to work at the old 

 place. But this did not continue long. The men 

 had to be paid off ; and then Edward did not know 

 what to do. 



At that time, emigration to America was the rage. 

 Trade was very depressed throughout the country. 

 There were bread riots in many of the manufacturing 

 towns. Numbers of labourers were without work, 



* Maingie many "a great lot" From the German word 

 Menge. 



