A Retrospeci. 
and often it didn't, as in my rush to the cages I was often caught 
by a w ave, and anyhow, you feel the motion there. 
This menagerie caused vast interest to all the children on 
board, and the Wallaby loose on its rope was the chief draw. 
In case anyone thinks of importing birds, I want to re- 
commend my method of cleaning; I had a small tray in the 
bottom of each cage and on it blotting paper; this latter was 
renewed daily and was both efficacious and speedy. 
Before leaving Australia, I had cabled to England for 
mealworms to meet mo in Africa. They duly arrived, well 
packed, but unfortunately, the post office in an excess of zeal 
had pat that box inside another with several other parcels, the 
whole being made air-tight. Can you imagine the result ; I hope 
not; I don't like to think of it, nor did the post office peci-le. 
Still, there 1 was without mealworms, nor could I get 
any live insects, and that certainly caused many deaths. 
In Africa I picked up some Sunbirds, about thiee or 
four species, and a mixed collection of Waxbills and S'nging 
Finches; all these did well. 
Finally, we arrived at Liverpool, then London, where we 
changed stations; the face of the cab driver was worth a for 
tune to anyone on the stage when he saw the birds' cages with 
our other luggage, he felt inclined to expostulate I think, but 
at that moment the Wallaby's cage was hoisted up and he never 
said a word; perhaps he thought it was a new kind of " pink 
rat." 
One more piece of advice if you are going abroad, don'r 
promise to bring birds back for other people; before I left, I 
was asked to do so and refused on the grounds that if they died 
I would have to ask for money for dead birds, with no proof 
that I had ever bought them, and if they arrived alive I would 
hate parting with them for a song after looking after them all 
the time 
