198 BIRDS IN LONDON 



deteriorates unless the captive is frequently 

 made to hear and sing against a wild bird. At 

 these musical contests the caged bird catches 

 and retains something of the fine passion and 

 brilliancy of his wild antagonist, and the more 

 often he is given such a lesson the better will it 

 be for its owner, who may get twenty to fifty 

 shillings, and sometimes much more, for a good 

 singer. Victoria Park was the only accessible 

 place to most of the East-enders who keep 

 chaffinches for singing-matches and for profit, 

 to which their birds could be taken to get the 

 necessary practice. To this park they were 

 accustomed to come in considerable numbers, 

 especially on Sunday mornings in spring and 

 summer. Even now, when the wild birds are so 

 greatly reduced in numbers, many chaffinch 

 fanciers may be met with ; even on working 

 days I have met as many as a dozen men slouch- 

 ing about among the shrubberies, each with a 

 small cage covered with a cotton handkerchief 

 or rag, in quest of a wild bird for his favourite 

 to challenge and sing against. They do not 

 always succeed in finding their wild bird, and 

 when found he may not be a first-rate singer, 

 or may become alarmed and fly away ; and as 



