160



A French Member



to this day totally devoid of colour. It is said Chrysolampis elatus

dons his shining livery without a moult. Whether this belief is

founded on fact, and if so how much longer will elapse before the

infants I have of this species—assuming they happen to be males—

put on the cloth of gold and the crown of rubies that enrich the

adult, it is so far impossible to foretell.


Before going on with a little more detail to the various genera

imported, I should like to set down here a few improvements as

regards the treatment of Colibris, which a careful study of their

needs has taught me during a period of twenty-two months. I

mentioned, ruefully enough, in my last articles on this subject, one

of my initial blunders, namely, the utter failure of the attempt at

keeping several together either in aviaries or in large cages. A

second mistake—also dating back to the early days of the 1914

importation—cost I fear some of the birds their life : they were

not kept sufficiently warm Often at night the thermometer in the

room would sink to 17° or even below ; whilst 18° to 19° was the

average maintained in the daytime. I am now of opinion that,

at least during the first year of their European life, humming-birds

require a much higher degree of heat, and that a painful and most

obstinate disease of the bowels, which they are most subject to, and

do not easily recover from, is largely brought on by an irregular

or insufficient temperature. Since the advent of the present winter,

a uniform heat of 22° to 23° has been kept up, with far better

results. Another change, which I am also inclined to consider

beneficial, has been effected in the diet of the birds. The Mellin’s

food, which formerly used to be dissolved with the other ingredients

in the boiling water, is strengthened and varied by the admixture of

an equal quantity of fresh beef, reduced into an impalpable powder

by a slow process of cooking, pounding, and drying. Enough of

the meat is prepared to fill a glass jar, from which the daily supply

can be taken and added to the Mellin’s food according to needs; if

properly dried there is no fear of its going bad, at any rate for a

fortnight or so. Last, but not least, the Colibris now get insects

all the year round, by the following simple method, which I regret

I only learnt a few months ago : in a bowl about fifteen inches deep,



