To the Editor of the Times
Sir,--I consider it necessary to inform the public, through your paper, that there is a fellow going about the town, (dressed like a painter,) imposing upon the unwary, by selling them painted birds, for foreign ones.
The trick consisted of showing a paper bag, and saying that he'd been working for a gentleman about to leave England for a foreign country. The gentleman gave the painter his birds, who in turn, would tell a small audience,
but I'm as bad as himself, for I'm going down to Canterbury to-morrow morning myself, to work, and they being of no use to me, I shall take them down to Whitechapel and sell them for what I can get.
Taking a bird out of the bag, he described it as 'a Virginia nightingale, which sung four distinct notes or voices.' Beautiful plumage, too: 'its head and neck was a bright vermilion, the back betwixt the wings a blue, the lower part to the tail a bright yellow, the wings red and yellow...the belly a clear green.' Money changed hands, all the birds were sold, and the fellow quickly departed.
In the course of an hour, continues the correspondent, a barber, a knowing hand in the bird way, who lives in the neighbourhood, came in, and taking a little water, with his white apron he transferred the variegated colours of the nightingale to [his white apron]. The deception was visible--the swindler had fled--and the poor hedge-sparrow had his unfortunate head severed from his body, for being forced to personate a nightingale.
A Licensed Victualler
Upper Thames-street [EDBv1]
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