S. Porter—Experiences of an Amateur Importer of Foreign Birds 153


Often the charges exceed the value of the birds themselves. The

customs officials, instead of being helpful, place every obstacle in one’s

way, not only that, but they treat one as though one were asking for

the loan of a “ fiver ” ! After some years of importing birds by the

means of agents, I gave it up as a disastrous failure. Many exceedingly

rare and valuable birds have been lost through lack of attention given

them on board the ship, and bad food and ignorance on the part of

those supposed to look after them. Sometimes, if the birds have not

died on the voyage, they have arrived in such a condition that they have

succumbed soon afterwards.


Consignments of birds which I have sent in exchange to friends

overseas have proved equally disastrous. Perhaps, owing to some

trouble with the customs officers, the birds have been left on the dock

side in a biting cold wind for the best part of a day, consequently

in a short time they have died of pneumonia. The cost of shipping

birds from this country is excessive ; there are a hundred and one

expenses which, individually, are not large, but which all mount up

and in the end assume an alarming total.


At last so distressing did the mortality become and so heavy the

debit that I decided if I wanted any more birds I would fetch them

myself and not leave them to the tender mercies of butchers, bakers,

and suchlike on the ship. Having through circumstance beyond my

control to spend a certain part of every year abroad, I usually choose

as my place of residence the habitat of some bird which I desire and

when there use every effort to procure it.


At first when one is “ green ” there are many pitfalls. One always

forgets something, food runs short, cages are inadequate, and a hundred

and one other things, but through bitter experience, which is the best

teacher, one soon learns.


In the first place, when I contemplate such a trip, a number of

rough cages are prepared, usually “ Tate ” sugar boxes which are

obtainable from the family grocer at the cost of a few pence. These

are divided into two compartments, each one will hold a bird the

size of a Thrush ; the great thing is never to overcrowd your birds

and it is usually better to bring birds over in cages to themselves.

Overcrowding is the cause of 90 per cent of the mortality in importing



