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


advice and bringing to see tbe “ pretty dicky-birds ” spoilt children

who bang on the cage fronts to make the birds fly.


To get away from all these needless distractions, I always travel

by “ intermediate ” steamers or cargo boats which carry only a few

passengers. On these there are few if any women or children, no

wearying rounds of deck sports or cocktail or bridge parties to distract

one’s attention from their feathered charges. Only those who have

had to get up at 6 a.m. after a cocktail party to look after one’s birds

know what a relief it is to be on a ship where there are no such dis¬

tractions or temptations.


It is of little use going to a port and expecting to pick up rare

birds from the native bird sellers, though in such large cities as Buenos

Aires, etc., it is quite possible to pick up rare birds from the various

bird shops. To get some special bird one has often to make long stays

at remote inland settlements and often make journeys through wild

and rough country, consequently one has to put up with a great deal

of discomfort and inconvenience.


It is surprising how quickly one makes friends with the ship’s

crew if one has livestock on board, it seems to act as a kind of intro¬

duction to everyone from the captain downwards. It certainly opens

up a new subject for conversation, of which there is usually a dearth

on board ship after the first week or two, and in this way I have made

many pleasant friendships between members of the ship’s personnel

and myself.


I once heard of a lady who had three unmarried daughters who

were getting dangerously near the “ left over ” stage, so she sent each

one on a voyage to India and back with a handsome blue Persian

cat, which acted as a kind of “ open sesame ” in the matters of intro¬

ductions—“ Does this lovely pussy belong to you ? ” kind of thing.

At all events the trick worked and the lady was rewarded with three

sons-in-law ! But I am wandering from my subject.


Sometimes one meets with nasty and officious captains who out

of sheer “ cussedness ” object to birds being put in empty cabins and

who arrive on their daily tour of inspection just as one is cleaning

out the cages, and make all kinds of sarcastic remarks such as

“ kindly remember that human beings have to sleep here after



