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defledtion from the path of Truth. He vowed he only had one

padlock (a red one, of all colours) which his father had given

him. I again hinted at the man in blue. He reconsidered the

matter; he knew who had got the padlocks. Would I let him

go and fetch them. He even named the boy. I consented. In

about a quarter of an hour he returned with my padlocks. The

next morning, it being Sunday, I went to see Papa No. i. I

told him the story and gave him the alternative of (i) giving

the boys a sound thrashing or (2) going to the neighbouring Police

Court. He elected the former, and opined in a tragic voice that

his lads would not come into my garden again. The tone was

horribly suggestive and I felt for those boys, but then I thought

also of poor Mrs. Indigo and her family, and the cheek of the

whole thing. That same evening a knock came at the door,

and when I went out to see, there stood paterfamilias and the

two culprits, greeting right sore, and as I opined also right sore

(forgive the pun) as to their lumber region. Papa had a good ash

plant in his.hand, as though to give me ocular proof that justice

had been done. “ There,” he said, “Sir, I hav gien them a reet

good thrashing, and they won’t trouble you no more. Now,

then,” to the culprits, ‘'beg Mr. Farrar’s pardon.” I really felt

a little sorry for the poor lads, and I freely forgave them ; I

should have liked to have given them sixpence, but then that

would have been to encourage vice.


These Indigo birds are now locked up throughout the day

and woe betide anyone who comes to molest them. I never so

nearly lost a medal as I did that Sunday evening. The other

and worst culprit, I have reason to believe, was executed on the

same evening, but at a later hour, when his sire returned from

hay-making, and I believe the weapon of execution was

identical. Let this plain unvarnished tale in which I have

nought extenuated, nought set down to malice, warn all my

fellow aviculturists to lock up their aviaries, even on Sundays—


When wicked little boys delight


To pull poor birds’ nests out.


I say it with no egotistical spirit, that I consider these

birds that rear their young exclusively on animal food far the

most difficult to breed. Indigos are no exception. They

absolutely refuse to feed on anything but “ live bait.” Hence I

think a gold medal should be given for rearing them ; or better

still “unlimited mealworms” (<?).


( e ). I am not at all sure that this species has not been bred previously in England :

it has been repeatedly in GPrmauy.—A. G. B.



