68



Miss D. Hamilton,



killer than tobacco smoke. He did no harm, and added life and

motion to the beauties of the flowers. Day by day he won my

mother’s heart more and more till at last, when my holiday was

ended, I had to go back to London without my bird. Now my

mother is a member of the Avicultural Society, and has about

30 birds flying in that greenhouse. I have another Nonpareil

whom I find quite as charming as my first one. But they have

one peculiarity which makes them unsuitable birds for keeping

in one’s bedroom. Both my Nonpareils have the habit of

occasionally flying up and down their cage all night. I have

noticed this especially on moonlight nights in spring and

autumn, and I wonder if it corresponds with their times of

migration in their native land. In spring they will sing at

intervals all through the night too.


All the books I have seen very rightly insist upon the

necessity of keeping Nonpareils well supplied with insect food.

As a matter of fact I believe that if this is done in spring and

summer, the bird can get through the winter months quite

comfortably on seed alone. At different times of the year I have

found that my Nonpareils prefer special kinds of insects. I11

early spring they are grateful enough for mealworms (though

they always prefer the pupa to the larva). As summer conies on

the)' - are wild after flies and grasshoppers, and in autumn they

seem to like spiders better than anything else. Greenfly, and

smooth caterpillars are always welcome, and flowering grasses,

green oats, and weeds of almost every sort are much relished at

all times. I never give my birds any bought seeds other than

canary, and white and spray millet. I should think that the

Nonpareils would be very useful in countries where locusts

abound. Mine always catches the grasshoppers I offer him, with

wonderful agility, and devours them eagerly.


My first visit to a Crystal Palace Bird Show made me keen

to possess some of the birds I saw there, especially Gouldian

Finches and Pintail Nonpareils. At last I ventured on a pair of

Goulds, which looked healthy and were in brilliant plumage.

Alas ! they both died in a few days. I thought that must be

through some fault in my management of them, so I asked

advice as to their proper treatment and bought another pair.



