S. Porter—Experiences of an Amateur Importer of Foreign Birds 151


them for yourself. The trouble and worry will be likely to lead, if not to

a nervous breakdown, at least to premature grey hairs. I notice that

I have quite a few myself now, which I am sure is due to long contact

with the Customs Authorities !


The first birds I ever received were five rare Parrakeets, but this

was in the good old days before there were any customs duties or

restrictions on the importations of Parrots. In those days one heard

of no such things as cc Bills of Lading ”, Certificates of Origin, and other

such complicated things, one simply walked on to the ship, told those

in authority who one was, tipped the butcher, and walked off with the

birds. Nothing could be simpler. Then came all the various import

restrictions and customs duties. Some time afterwards some more

birds arrived from a friend in New Zealand : they consisted of New

Zealand Zosterops and a pair of Black Swans. The birds were duly

landed. A friend in London lent me a fast car and a chauffeur, if it

hadn’t have been for these I might have been at the docks yet!


The birds were brought off the ship, the Zosterops put on the back

seat and the Swans loose in the back part of the car. All was set,

and we were ready to start back. A customs officer now appeared on

the scene : Had I signed form number “ so-and-so 55 relating to the

“ Ad valorem duties ” ? No, I hadn’t, but I would do so as soon as

I could get one, where could I get one from ? It wasn’t his duty to

give advice ! There was about a mile’s walk to the nearest custom

house on the docks ; could I have form number 12345/12345/12345,

or whatever it was ? No. Well, where could I get it from ? They

didn’t know, I must find out. Well, the best thing to do, apparently,

was to go to the office of the shipping company in the City, six or

seven miles away through London’s worst traffic. No, they couldn’t

tell me where I could get the form from, their responsibility ceased

when the birds were taken off the ship. If I went to Thames House,

I was told, I might get the form there. After being rebuffed several

times at Thames House, I waited meekly with hundreds of other

seemingly disappointed clients on the forms in the main hall. At

last plucking up courage, I demanded the said form from the nearest

clerk in the main hall. “ What was it for % ” Live birds—better see

the Department for the Importation of Fat Stock, or the Importation



