188



Mrs. E. F. Chawner



bridge crosses the chasm that cost so many people their lives, and

descends into the pine apple plantations on the other side of the

Island.


THREE ATTEMPTS AT BREEDING

SUGAR-BIRDS,


By Miss E. F. Chawner.


The three species concerned are the Red-throated Blue Sugar-

bird (Glossoptilla ruficollis), the Blue Sugar-bird (Dacnis cayana)

and the Yellow-winged Blue Sugar-bird (Ccereba cyanea), and though

each attempt failed they may be worth recording.


First in the field were the Red-throated Blues, bought Feb.

28th, 1911, from the late Mr. Sutcliffe, who had privately imported

them. They were in faultless condition and quickly made them¬

selves at home in a small garden aviary with heated shelter. Their

diet was the same as that of other sugar birds : sweetened milk sop,

grapes, banana and orange; the hen was very fond of maw seed and

occasionally swallowed a mealworm, but I never knew the cock to

take either seed or insect. They were a charmingly pretty pair and

the cock had quite a nice song. When they were sent to me Mr.

Sutcliffe "warned me that the cock was “ wheezing,” which made me

very anxious, but presently I discovered that the so-called “ wheez¬

ing ” was his alarm cry, though I must say that it sounded more

like bronchitis. If I went near the aviary after dark he would

“ tune up ” at once.


They began to look about for a nesting place during the second

week in June, and by the 24th had built a neat cup nest of heather

twigs, cotton wool, and bents, and lined it with hair (much like a

hedge sparrow’s nest) in the corner of a Hartz cage fastened high up

in the shelter. The cock continually accompanied the hen in her

search for material, and mounted guard while she was building, but

I do not think he actually carried anything or worked at the nest.

When they had finished they pulled it to pieces and finally built in an

old wicker cuff high up in the same part of the aviary where they

were practically invisible from below. The hen began to sit July 5th

but was not at all steady, flying off as soon as the aviary door was



