58 My )i' cllozi.'-zoini^cd Sitgarbirdx. 



found many. Can my readers inia.i;ine wliat they looked like 

 while s(j occni)ied ? I really can't de.scril)e it — their refnls^ent 

 plumage glittering' like scales in the sun, the turquoise crown 

 coming every now and again into view with startling clearness; 

 then there would be a nuttering of wings, and most of the blue 

 would be temporarily obscured by a display of sulpUur-yellow. 

 Then down to the little pool iney came for a splash and refreshei 

 after their exertions — would that 1 could describe tnem at the 

 pond side (the i^ond was 4ft. by 3ft.). how wee and slim they 

 looked, and how their colours flashed as they drank, then more 

 so as they si)lashe(l about in the shallow water at pond side ; then 

 away to some shady twig to preen and dry themselves. But they 

 did not rest long, for now they are on the wing— moving flashing 

 jewels — satisfying their appetite with midges, etc.. snapping 

 lieaks and moving throats, demonstrating how adept tliey are in 

 cai)turing their minute prey. 



After a few weeks 1 noticed that one male was solitary 

 and that the other was definitely paired up with the female — at 

 this stage they did not (juarrel. but the trio were no longer seen 

 altogether at the same time, and the bachelor did much skulking 

 and was not often in the picture. Then the mated pair began 

 collecting rubbish together — grass, fine roc (lets, moss, cotton, 

 string, and strips of paper — and a nest was commenced. It was 

 something" like a weaver's nest, but smaller, more elliptical, fiat- 

 sided, with an entrance hole at the top of one of the tw"0 flat 

 sides (surely I ought to write front!); in spite of iiie mixed 

 character of the building materials, it was a neat and pleasing 

 construction. I meant to have a i)hoto of uiat nest when it was 

 really completed, but I waited too long, for when the finishing 

 touches were being put to it the bachelor Sugarbird came most 

 decidedly into the picture. Filled with fury he attacked the nest 

 and tore and tore — in a couple of days nothing but a wTeck 

 remained — I have never seen a small bird so destructive, yet he 

 did not attack the builders, but such was me effect of the fitry 

 with which he attacked the nest that none molested him. but let 

 him alone to his fell work in the centre of the elder bush— 

 nor did the builders of the nest seek to hinder him; they mav 

 have done so in the beginning, but the w ork of destruction was 

 far advanced before 1 was aware of it. T set to work to catch 

 iij) the otld male - no light task in so large a jjlace- in the e\u\ f 



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