70 Mr. Hubert D. Astley,


SOME NOTEWORTHY EXHIBITS AT

THE INTERNATIONAL CAGE BIRD SHOW.


In spite of the distraction caused by the War, a really

wonderfully fine lot of birds were brought together at the

Horticultural Hall, Westminster, on the 26th November : Mr. A.

Ezra’s exhibition of tw T o Humming Birds causing a sensation, and

verifying my prophecy made some time ago that such a thing would

be possible. Moreover, except for the fact that the glass fronts to

their cages had an outer protection of white-painted wire bars,

which perhaps might have been removed since they obscured the

view of the birds within, the manner in which the two cages had

been prepared showed what intense care and forethought had been

bestowed.


The floors were covered with moss, whilst in each was

arranged a group of Orchids, in front of which the Humming Birds

occasionally hovered with rapidly-vibrating wings.


A thermometer fastened to the hack inside showed the tem¬

perature varying from 75° to 80°, this heat being maintained by

means of night-lights placed in a special receptacle beneath the

trays. Mr. Ezra finds that these wonderful little birds should not

be kept in warmth under 70° and preferably over.


Their liquid food is the same as given to Sunbirds : but they

take it on the wing, hovering. Both of the Humming Birds received

an equal first prize, the diploma and silver medal being awarded to

the Sporctdinus mcordi, a tiny insect-like looking Humming Bird of

glittering emerald green, about which I have already written in our

Magazine, with the hopes that later on we shall be able to publish a

coloured illustration of this wonderful creature.


The Garnet-throated Humming Bird (.Eulcimpis jugularis)

seated on a hare twig projecting from among the orchids, sombre in

colour until one caught the flash of intense garnet on his throat

and breast, was also certainly worth going a long way to see.

Mr. Ezra is to be congratulated upon his success. One is sure that

such treasures mean constant care and trouble. Besides these two,

he exhibited a dainty little white-eyebrowed Blue and White Fly¬

catcher, (Himalayan), a magnificent Malachite Sunbird, and the



