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Mr. G. A. Heumann,



elsewhere. They are lazy, uninteresting birds, in spite of their

lovely plumage and graceful flight. Old birds I have never been

able to get on to artificial food, probably on account of being too

used to catch their food on the wing. They absolutely refuse to pick

up from the ground and only stuffing will save them for a little time,

but it is useless. With the young taken from the nest I have been

much more successful. As is well known, they build in the

banks of the river, burrowing holes about two to three feet deep

and about four to five inches in diameter. I must admit that,

though not afraid of snakes when I see them, having kept them as

pets before my marriage and only giving them up in deference to

my wife’s wishes, I yet have an uncanny feeling creeping through

me when I put my hand into one of these doubtful holes. The

nest is kept very dirty and wings of butterflies and beetles are there

in thousands, blowfly maggots are all over the nest and I often

wondered if the young birds live on them before emerging from the

nest. It is not difficult to get these young birds to eat. I use fine

raw beef, covered with crushed flies ( to give the coating to the

pellets they eject) and a few mealworms per day. These birds

reared by hand become very tame, mine would fly away and return

regularly to a whistle they learnt and remembered. The migrating

season alters all these pleasant relations and one day they do not

respond to the whistle; they have gone away ! I tried to find out

why they would eat bees in some districts and not in others, but so

far I have not discovered any satisfactory solution. Also it is said

■ — I saw it too in a German bird-paper—that Bee-eaters do not

drink. I admit that I never took notice of this as I took it for

granted that they do drink, and being birds that live near water they

always have a plentiful supply. I have none of these birds at

present, but on my return from the Continent shall get them again

and then settle that question.


Flycatchers, Cuckoos and Pardalotes I have tried and am

still experimenting with, but so far they have but lived a short while

with me, especially the Pardalotes or “ Ground Diamonds ” as the

boys call them. Sweet little birds, worth all the trouble to try and

keep them alive. It is amusing to read some of the answers given

to inquiries as how to keep Bee-eaters, Pardalotes, &c. Well, I



