Vol. XV. No. 360. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



55 



FEEDING HUMMING BIRDS. 



The Anmuil Report Sniithsonian Institution, 1913, 

 reproduces a paper read at the Thirty-first Annual Congress 

 of the American Ornithologists Union, in whicli experiments 

 ill feeding humming birds during seveii summers are described. 

 The experiments were begun without intending them to bear 

 upon the question of the food naturally sought by the 

 ruby-throated humming liird (Aichi/ockus coluhru)\ the 

 original aim of the feeding was to attract the humming birds 

 about the yard, in the hope that some time they would 

 remain to nest there. The feeding was effected by means of 

 artificial flowers made from white oil cloth, their edges being 

 stiffened with one strand of wire taken from picture cord, 

 and the flowers carefully painted with oil colours, the first to 

 represent a nasturiuni, and the second a tiger lily. On the 

 appearance of a humming bird about the natural flowers, the 

 artificial nasturium, tacked to a stick was placed near a 

 clump of blooming phlo.x, and its bottle filled with a syrup 

 made of granulated sugar dissolved in water. The next day, 

 a female ruby-throat was seen searching the depths of tiger 

 lilies that grew north of the house; as she Hew to the east of 

 the house she was instantly followed, and was seen drinking 

 from the artificial flower for the space of about a minute, 

 after which she flew to a rosefmsh, wijjed her bill, and rested 

 a brief time before Hying away. Thi.s was about noon. 

 She returned at intervals of about a half hour for the next 

 three hours; then at 3.10 o'clock she came back to search 

 quite thoroughly the phlox blossoms, this being the first 

 time she had paid any attention to them after finding the 

 syrup. Ten minutes later she drank deeply from the bottle 

 and was seen no more that day. 



In this way begun the feeding of the ruby-throated 

 humming bird, which has been continued each summer since 

 1907 with a varying number of birds. The number of bottles 

 in use has also increased, each new bottle being added by way 

 of an experiment. For instance, the first one was placed in an 

 artificial flower painted to imitate a nasturium, mainly yellow 

 in colour; the second flower in form and cr.lour closely 

 resembled a tiger lily. The experiment with the yellow and 

 the red flowers was to test a supposedly erroneous theory 

 which had been published, to the etfVct that humming birds 

 .show a preference for red flowers. In further proof of the 

 fallacj' of this statement the third flower, .shaped like the 

 nasturiuni, was painted green, and wa^ placed in a bed of 

 green plants, which at that time bore no blossoms. It wa.s 

 .staked out and filled on August 5, 1!(09, when no humming 

 bird was in sight, but in about ten minutes some of the 

 .species had come, and fifteen minntes later one was drinking 

 from the bottle in this green flower. Bottles filled with syrup 

 but without an encircling flower proved equally attractive. 



The last experiment made was that of flavouring one 

 of the bottles of syrup with vanilla, and later with extract 

 of len.im, to see if the birds showed preference for the plain 

 syrup or for the flavoured. Both kinds were served at the 

 same time, and of both the birds drank, showing no choice 

 that could be detected. 



THE PRESERVATION OF MEAT. 



The perser^ation of meat by the agency of salt (Sodium 

 chloride) is one of the oldest and most widely used processes. 

 Salt acts partly as a dehydrating agent —that is, it deprives 

 the meat of water — and partially as an antiseptic. In salting 

 meat to preserve it from decay, various methods are employed. 

 Some preservers adopt one method, some another. In order 

 that any process may be successful, attention must first of 

 all be directed to the slaughtering of the animal whose car- 

 cass it is intended to preserve. A cool day should he chosen 

 for the slaughtering; the animal should be well bled, and, 

 after having been carefully dressed, the carcass should be 

 allowed to hang in a cool place until the animal heat has 

 dissipated. This condition is indicated by the carcass setting 

 firmly. After the carcass has set it should be cut up. 



There are various ways of salting meat, and any of the 

 following will give successful results: — 



1. For each 100 K). of meat, empio}' a thoroughly in- 

 corporated mixture of 8 lb. of Black Horse salt, 3 ft. of granu- 

 lated sugar, and 4 oz. of saltpetre. Rub the meat to be treated 

 on all surfaces with one-third of the mixture, and then pack 

 it in a barrel. Let it remain there for three days; then take 

 it out, rub it again with another one-third of the salt 

 mixture. In putting the pieces back into the barrel, place 

 those that were previously on top at the bottom of the vessel. 

 At the end of another three days take the meat out again, 

 and rub it with the last one-third of the mixture. Three 

 days after this the meat will be cured. Now take it 

 out of the barrel, place it on a board over the barrel, and 

 allow it to drip into the barrel for a day or two. It can 

 be used when partially cured, as occasion demands, at any 

 point previous to this stage, if the preserver so wishes. If 

 it is now required to keep the meat still longer, it should be 

 rubbed over with a little dry salt, and when dry it should 

 be smoked. The process of smoking greatl}' assists in the 

 preservation of meat, partly on account of the drying action 

 of the heat a.s.sociated with the smoking, and partly through 

 the antiseptic action of some of ihe substances in the smoke. 

 The best substance to use to make a dense smoke is the 

 finest New Zealand pine sawdust (Kauri pine). The preser- 

 vation of the meat in hot weather is also greatly assisted by 

 adding to the brine, formed during the process, a little 

 sodium sulphite. Add for every 100 Ri. of meat half an 

 ounce of .sodium sulphite to the brine. The liquid that is 

 found in the barrel during the process should not oe removed, 

 but the meat should he repacked in it each time it is taken 

 out from it. 



2. A second method consists of placing the meat in 

 casks in layers, with salt between each layer. The salt 

 withdraws water from the meat, and the brine that is formed 

 penetrates the substance of the flesh. 



3. A third method consists in pumping a strong solu- 

 tion of salt, by means of a brine pump, into the arteries. 

 This method has been demonstrated to butchers, and is 

 a rapid and eflfective way of preserving meat. 



Any farmer, however, can employ methods No. 1 and 

 No. 2; and, if he treats fresh flesh on a cool day as directed, 

 he will get successful results. The use of water in making 

 a pickle shculd be avoided, since the water-supply rm a farm 

 is usually contaminated with micro-organisms that rapidly 

 cause putrefactive changes in flesh. If, however, curing by 

 brine is desired, about 3| Bb. of salt should be added to every 

 gallon of water, and the water should have previously been 

 boiled. The brine made on adding the salt to the boiled 

 water should be filtered through a double fold of cheese- 

 cloth, to remove various impurities. The pickling barrel 

 should be kept in a cool, well-ventilated place. 



