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Mr. Maurice Portal,



Australia, and the Papuan and Moluccan Archipelagos. They are

not found in Europe, nor yet in the Western Hemisphere.


The species entitled Hedydipna is distinguished by a shorter

bill, whilst the tail is square with the two centre feathers in the

male much elongated, and the ends rounded and slightly widened,

and this is also the case in the Nectarinice, which species inhabit

South, West and North-East Africa.


Anthobaphes is another, in which the tail is very strongly

graduated, with the two centre feathers narrow and much elongated.

The males have pectoral tufts at the shoulders. They are found in

Cape Colony and Little Namaqua Land.


If any aviculturists wish for something really lovely, tame,

confident, and when acclimatized, easily kept, I can certainly re¬

commend Sun-Birds ; but the males are very pugnacious, and -will

even bully their mates in confined quarters. When let out of their

cage, they will flit lightly about, peering here and there in a fearless

manner, and if hungry (or rather, thirsty) they will boldly come to

a vessel of their liquid food. The long tongue protrudes and dips

in, whilst the small throat vibrates as the liquid is sucked down.

Unlike Sugar Birds, they do not seem to eat sponge-cake, but will

suck all the liquid out of it. On a journey a good plan is to put in

the food glass a perfectly clean piece of sponge, which should be

scalded in boiling water every day. The Sun-Birds will suck the

liquid which is prevented from spilling over.



STRAY NOTES ON THE KEEPING

OF WATERFOWL.


By Maurice Portal.


Probably most of us who are interested in the keeping of

Waterfowl of various kinds, fall into the common error of overcrowding

our pond or ponds—unless blessed with special facilities for keeping

Ducks. If one only looks on one’s pond as a source of intense

interest in noting the many changes of plumage and colour which a

Duck passes through in the twelve months, and noting their various

calls and modes of courtship, the over crowding matters less—as



