150



A French Member of the Society,



perching places should be provided, the idea being to allow the bird

to fly from one pollard to the other ; minnows and other small fish

could be placed in the water.


A small round pond could be made, near a sloping piece of

ground if possible, so that the surface water would run into it after

a shower, a narrow gutter being dug out for the purpose. In this

small pond fish could be stored, to be used at times when they could

not be obtained, as previously mentioned. If it was desired, a few

rushes could be placed here and there on the edges of this artificial

brook, which would give a finishing touch and a pretty effect to the

whole. In such an aviary a Kingfisher would undoubtedly thrive,

and it is just possible that a pair might be induced to breed there.


A cage such as I have described would be kept to place the

Kingfisher in during severe frosty weather, because the brook would

freeze over, and when the weather became milder the bird could be

put out into the brook aviary again.



MY HUMMING BIRDS, AND HOW I

OBTAINED THEM.


By a French Member of the Society.


(Concluded from page 109).


Soon after their arrival home, the Hummers were divided up

amongst the cages and aviaries (indoors) described in my last article.

I wished to learn by study which of the two modes of confinement

better met their wants. Some three or four were therefore let out

in several large cages, each lighted by a powerful electric lamp,

which, on dark days, was kept burning from early morning to about

seven p.m. Fires and a radiator kept the temperature up to 20°

centrigrade ( i.e . 68° Fahrenheit) : and under these conditions most

of the birds soon settled down to their new life and prospered. A

fresh tail adorned the tiny Bellona exilis, and I noted with satisfac¬

tion that several of the Garnet-throated Humming Birds, whose

beaks had been broken at the tip, were fast growing a new upper

mandible. Next to the lamented Bellona, these latter were, and



