THE BLUE SUGAR-BIRD ; THE EMERALD BIRD OF PARADISE.


Sir, — I am sorry that my business arrangements have, for some time,

prevented my replying to the main’ interesting queries which have of late

appeared in our Magazine, and I am afraid some even of the direct enquiries

addressed to me on bird matters have, for the same reason, been allowed to

pass without reply.


In the May number of the Magazine, however, there are so many

items that require attention,that I have been impelled to write a few words.


After expressing the great pleasure which I have in congratulating

the Society upon having secured the services of such an artist as Mr. Smit,

and of such a firm as Mintern Brothers for the exquisite reproductions of

the artist’s sketches, I will begin at the beginning, and as I am doubtless

one of those to whom Dr. Butler refers in the first paragraph of his

interesting article on the Blue Sugar-bird, I will endeavour to supplement

his paper with a few remarks from actual experience of the Dacnis cayana in

captivity. My first specimen was a lieu, and a bird of this sex would

appear, to any other than an expert, to be of quite a different species from

the cock bird. The general plumage of the hen is of a bright metallic green,

while the bod}’ plumage of the cock quite justifies the popular designation

“ Blue Sugar-bird,” and the only fault possible to be found in the illustra¬

tion is the one pointed out by Dr. Butler, that it is, perhaps, not blue

enough. My birds were fed upon fruit as a staple diet: oranges, grapes,

bananas, pears, etc., as might be obtainable from time to time. They were

also supplied with sponge cake moistened with scalded milk, and a mixture

of steamed ant’s cocoons, yolk of egg, and cream cheese. Of the latter

item they were extremely fond, and invariably picked out the pieces as

soon as their food was given to them. (I have found cream cheese chopped

fine a very valuable addition to the food for delicate insectivorous birds in

captivity). Two or three mealworms daily were also offered, but these

were not always eaten. My birds never seemed to ail until the last minute.

Each seemed in perfect health up to the time it was found dead in its cage.

It seems that such birds as these, and the more delicate insectivorous

British birds, get food in freedom such as we are unable to successfully

imitate in captivity (I anticipate Dr. Butler’s comment that birds do not get

cream-clieese when at liberty) and that the fruit we are able to offer the

fruit-eating foreign birds is a very poor substitute for the ripe fruit and

tropical insects they have been taken away from. Any one who has eaten

ripe bananas and ripe oranges, fresh from the tree, will appreciate this

theory.


I am obliged to say that I think Dr. Butler’s interesting article upon

the Sugar-bird is entirely spoilt by his last paragraph. To reason that

because a Blue Robin, a Pekin Robin, and a Blackbird have been kept in

health upon a certain food it should be tried upon such birds as the Dacnis

cayana is surely absurd)/). The three birds named will live upon almost

anything, and the Licthrix can be kept nearly entirely upon seed. Does

this make seed a desirable food for a Sugar-bird ? In thousands of cottages

in England Blackbirds are kept in health and song on scraps from the

table, supplemented by snails and earthworms. How long would a Dacnis


(/) Any member of the Society who carefully reads my article on the Blue Sugar-bird

will note that I did not recommend my regular mixture, as part of the dietary suitable

for that bird, on the grounds stated by Mr. Fulljames ; but on the ground that it agreed

with Tanagers and Zosterops. I mentioned the other species to prove that there could be

nothing injurious in the mixture as has been asserted. — A. G. B.



