Notes on Out-of-the-way Birds. i33 



eighteen humming-birds of different species, succeeded in sur- 

 viving a month at the Zoo in igo8. The male, indeed, lived five 

 weeks — I remember this well, because I promised the keeper a 

 shilling for every bird he kept over the month, and much re- 

 gretted I had only this individual to pay for. He also grew a 

 tail during his captivity here, showing that he was not nearly 

 " on his last legs " constitutionally. In fact, as only three of this 

 species were in the consignment it is pretty obvious that Pre- 

 vost's Hummer is fairly hardy as Hummers go, and I should 

 recommend anyone who has access to Venezuela to specialize on 

 this species if he wants to get Humming-birds over alive. 



It must be remembered in keeping Hummers that they 

 have very little use of their feet except as grasping organs : I 

 never saw any of the Zoo specimens try to walk or hop if they 

 found themselves on the ground, and even in moving along their 

 perch they whizz the wings. Newly-imported specimens, there- 

 fore, should have their perches so arranged that they can sidle 

 along them to get at the food and water — for they drink freely 

 though living on syrup. Once they are well-established and 

 flying strongly the fewer perches the better. Of course these 

 should be often cleaned, as the birds have a curious trick of 

 grasping their long thin bills with their feet and wiping them 

 down, any stickiness thereby accruing being promptly trans- 

 ferred to the perch, of course. For bathing the Prevosts' 

 preferred a large leaf which had been sprayed on — no doubt a 

 natural habit — but would also use a pan with a piece of moss in 

 it. The cock took no notice of the hen except to pull her off the 

 wet leaf by the scruff of the neck when he wanted a bath, and 

 they kept as far apart as possible, so that solitary confinement 

 would seem to be no hardship for a Humming-bird. A very high 

 temperature is necessary, at any rate for newly-imported birds, 

 as they become torpid like reptiles or very young nestlings if the 

 temperature falls too low. This, however, seems to do them no 

 harm ; a female Ruby-and-Topaz Hummer {Chrysolavipis 7nos- 

 chilus) in this consignment, arriving torpid, was placed on the 

 hot water pipes for resuscitation, revived suddenly, flew all over 

 the house for a long time without striking the glass, fell down on 

 a Marmosets' cage, was rescued from the clutches of a Marmoset 



