While walking, look to the left, and admire the beautiful view of the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice. The foliage of the centuries-old plane trees protects the buildings on either side of the “quai”.Formerly, the Quai de la Mégisserie" was called "Misery Valley", because butchers slaughtered their animals there for meat. Then it took on the name of the name of Mégisserie, from "Mégie", the art of preparing sheepskins. The unbearable stench of the tanning activity resulted in their being driven away, much further down the far left bank.For a long time in the "Valley of Misery" professionals could sell their birds on Sundays and certain working holidays. This was most likely a great show at the time. Parisians came to select their fowl, exposed in outdoor cages.Bird merchants came from all walks of life. There were Germans, Swiss, Tyrolians who came to sell their goldfinches, canaries or parrots. Those birds, which were very appreciated at the time, ensured a good living to their merchants, and the outstanding sounds of one bird or the beautiful colors of another made prices quickly climb. Some "Grandes Dames" of the 18th century became improvised canary trainers and sold them right here. Fowlers had even organized themselves into a corporation or trade association, under the protection of St. John the Evangelist. This tradition lasted for six centuries, and ended in the 1990s.Despite this, for a long time, traders continued to expose their animals in cages outside in front of their shop windows. German and American tourists were outraged to see these birds exposed to the exhaust pipes of the passing cars, and they did not hesitate to complain to the authorities. To please them, Parisian town councilors decided to ban the placement of the animals on the Quai de la Mégisserie. It is now forbidden to present chickens, pigeons, roosters and turkeys on the street, under penalty of a fine. Hens and their fellows are now living much healthier lives at the back of the stores or in their cellars, under the neon lights. Merchants had to resign themselves - not without protesting - to stow away their cages. The passage on street is now much easier, though less picturesque.Today, in addition to sellers of all kinds of animals, from goldfish to dogs, from rabbits to insects, and from reptiles to birds, there are also grain shops and florists