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


birds. When once a bird becomes messed up it soon loses heart and

dies. Besides, birds often fight badly when confined together in a small

space. It is really no advantage to economize on the cubic space,

even if one does pay a little more, one’s birds arrive healthy and in

perfect condition. To get back to the sugar boxes, I get wire fronts

made to fit, also trays for the bottoms. The cages are then knocked to

pieces in sections and packed flat so that they will travel easily on the

ship, and in this way one hasn’t to pay freight on them. It is advisable

to take a few yards of |-inch wire netting in case one runs short of

cages. In that case, boxes or cases can often be obtained from ports

en route or at one’s destination and the ship’s carpenter will, for a

consideration, soon knock up a cage for one. It is essential for one to

take food, especially such stuff as Mellin’s or Horlick’s, for Lories

or Sunbirds, for often in small obscure parts of the world these are

unobtainable. Honey and condensed milk can usually be bought

anywhere, but usually the honey is of poor quality or contains pre¬

servatives, as I know to my cost, when I lost a whole lot of Sunbirds

through giving them cheap honey, all I could get, in Singapore. It is

well to take seed, Parrot seed particularly, especially if one goes to

obscure tropical countries and also “ soft food ” which is often quite

unobtainable. Of course, with New Zealand and Australia it is a

different matter and one can usually obtain all one wants in the matter

of food.


The ship’s chef or butcher will, also for a consideration, supply

one with hard-boiled eggs, sponge cakes, and also chopped-up fresh

meat for such birds as Kingfishers, Birds of Prey, etc.


What I find is most essential is a bundle of old newspapers, this is

by far the best covering for the bottoms of the cages. Cut to fit the

trays and laid down in several thicknesses, the soiled sheets can be

changed several times a day and in this way the birds do not dirty

themselves. A bucket, a scrubbing brush or two, a bundle of mixed

thicknesses of dowelling from the local woodwork shop for perches,

some “ bird-cage ” wire, plenty of food pots and tins, and an escape-

proof box of mealworms are about all the amateur importer needs,

except, and which is perhaps the most essential of all, plenty of tact.

This latter is very necessary in making friends with the following of



