THE DARTFORD WARBLER 245 



him say something about rare birds which caused 

 me to put on a friendly air and join in the talk. 

 He was a Kentish man who spent most of his 

 time in driving about from village to village, 

 and from farm to farm, in the southern counties, 

 in search of bargains, and was prepared to buy 

 for cash down anything he could find cheap, 

 from an old teapot, or a print, or copper scuttle, 

 to a horse, or cart, or pig, or a houseful of 

 furniture. He also bought rare birds in the 

 flesh, or stuffed, and was no doubt in league 

 with a good many honest gamekeepers in those 

 counties. I had heard of "travellers" sent out 

 by the great bird-stuffers to go the rounds of 

 all the big estates in some parts of England, 

 but this scoundrel appeared to be a traveller in 

 the business on his own account. I asked him 

 if he had done anything lately in Dartford 

 warblers. He at once became confidential, and 

 said he had done nothing, but hoped shortly 

 to do something very good indeed. The bird, 

 he said, was supposed to be extinct in Kent, 

 and on that account specimens obtained in that 

 county would command a high price. Now he 

 had but recently discovered that a few — two or 



