184 Sidney Porter—The Pectoral Tanager


olive green, the flight feathers are edged with yellow, and the under

tail-coverts are rich chestnut, similar to those of a Waxwing.


In size and habits these birds resemble their cousins, the Violet

Tanagers ; the song (at least, I think it is the song) is exactly like the

alarm-note of the Cordon Bleu, only prolonged for a greater time, and

uttered with the wings and tail half spread out and the whole body

swaying from side to side.


These little birds have that quick, perky, and confiding temperament

that renders them so dear to their owner ; indeed, they very much

remind me of Wrens (always on the move, jolly, inquisitive, clean, and

tight in plumage). It would be a great shame to keep such birds in

a cage.


As to food, well, I have never seen birds eat such a quantity; they

must eat quite three or four times their own weight per day, the menu

consisting of a ripe banana and a ripe pear per day, only the skins

remaining in the morning. The fruit bill must cost something like

£9 per year (reckoning 2 d. for a banana and 4<7. for a pear), which is

several times their cost. Such fruit as peaches, grapes, plums, etc.,

luckily for one’s pocket, do not seem to be relished, but any small

insect is greedily devoured. The other day I threw into the' aviary

a large spider, which the birds quickly darted upon, but in their hurry

they missed it, and when it reached the floor it curled up and lay as

though dead ; the birds dropped to the ground and hunted all round the

spot where it had fallen, but were quite unable to see it, and after

hunting round for some minutes gave it up as a bad job, yet they had

walked over the spider several times. Very little soft food is eaten,

and only once have I seen them eat seed, but that I think was more

out of curiosity than anything else. They will usually pick over green

food, but whether any is eaten I do not know; no doubt they look it

over for any small insects that might be there. The food seems to pass

through these birds very quickly.


The Pectoral Tanager is perhaps more frequently imported than

supposed, being confused with the Violet Tanager by the dealers.


Jollier little birds than these I have seldom had, and I can recom¬

mend this species to anyone who wants rare, yet tame, interesting,

and easily kept birds.



