36 Some Interesting Birds. 



serious pursuit of any wing-ed insect that came within tha 

 aviary, many being talcen on the wing thi-ough tlie netting — 

 many of their captures being- so miimte, that the only indica- 

 tion of a successful capture was the swallowing of the prey. 

 Their wing evolutions in a somewhat confined space are simply 

 marvellous, especially when the male pursued his mate, when 

 the pairing' fever began, how they escaped bashing themselves 

 agamst the shell of aviary and internal standards, as they 

 whirled and twisted to and fro, one in pursuit of the other, 

 finally dashing into some retreat with a speed the eye could 

 scarcely follow, was astonishing, yet they never injured them- 

 selves, nor collided with any other occupant of their somewhat 

 overcrowded enclosure. However, I do not take this to be the 

 actual courting display (though it may be part of it), which I 

 take to consist of the maie hopping about the branches with drop- 

 ped wings and erected tail, his mate sitting stolidly with 

 ruffled feathers, awaiting his approach; after sitting together 

 for a moment or two, the pei'formance was gone tlirougb 

 again, and yet again, followed by a prolonged dance by the 

 male in similar attitude, then pairing usually took place. 



They could calch any mealworm or other i.isect thrown in- 

 to the air, other birds simply not having a "look in." During 

 the two and a half years they lived in my aviary, they 

 were out of doors all the year round, and during one of th6 

 winters there was a period of exceptionally severe weather, 

 lasting several weeks, yet they appeared as fit and cheery as 

 they did during the summer. While more fitted for the aviary 

 than the cage, they can be kept under the conditions of cage- 

 lifCs and soon become tame and confiding under such conditio as, 

 but the cage must be a roomy one, and it needs constant 

 attention to keep it clean and sweet. But these notes are 

 already too lengthy, and I will bring this portion of them 

 to a conclusio.i by stating that they must noc be kept with 

 small birds. 



Diet: In my aviary they had access to insectile mix- 

 ture, milk sop, ripe fruit, live insects, and seed — with the ex- 

 ception of seed they partook heartily of the whole range of 

 dietary offered, and while with me never had a day's illness 

 or even the slightest indisposition that I am aware of. 

 To he continued. 



