The Purple Sunhird and Great-hilled Flycatcher. 167 



The Purple Runbird : I was much interested in the 

 article on Sunbirds in last issue of Bird Nofeft, and that leaves me 

 with but little to say about this my favourite and most costly 

 foreign bird. 



I am greatly pleased that you are giving a coloured 

 plate of my two birds in this month's Magazine. Of all 

 the many species of Foreign Birds I have kept I consider 

 this the most desirable, and while I regret that they are not 

 more freely imported, yet I suj^jiose if they were to be pretty 

 easily procured, much of the charm of possession would dis- 

 appear. 



I am told that so many die rn ron.teiwQf doubt largely 

 due to improper feeding) that the few people who have been 

 induced to bring them once, will seldom make the second 

 attempt. ,' " ' 



The specimen from which Mr. Goodchild made his 

 studies for the plate, was one of five which reached 

 this country^ alive, a year or more ago. There were 

 two Amethyst-rumped and three Purples (one adult cf 

 one 9) and one young cf). "When they reached me 

 (for to my sorrow I bought the lot), the two Amethyst- 

 rumped were I could see too far gone to recover 

 and died almost on arrival and the hen Purple very soon 

 travelled the same road. The two remaining birds I kept for 

 some considerable time, for the greater part of which they 

 were In the same cage together, until they commenced to 

 fight in real earnest, when of course I at once separated 

 them, but soon after the full plumaged bird died, very prob- 

 ably from the effects of a blow from his rivaf, and I was 

 left with the most costly bird I ever exhibited, and I do not 

 like even now to think of what I paid for the five Sunbirds. 



The survivor still lives, and is a charming bird in 

 every sense, of course he needs to be well looked after, but 

 it is well worth the trouble. The plate illustrates its great 

 beauty; Mr. Dewar has dilated upon its charming song and 

 demeanour, therefore there is no need for me to occupy further 

 space, save to say that my bird's demeanour fully confirms 

 all he has said, that is, so far as 'this be possible within the 

 limits of a cage. \ 



