,my Humming Birds and how I obtained them. 155


To wind up,—now that an experience of nearly nine months

with Humming Birds has at last proved them to be capable of

thriving in Europe—just a few hints to avieulturists who may, I hope,

feel tempted to obtain these charming little creatures of Tropical

lands. People have asked me if there is a secret by means of which

they can be persuaded to live in our bleak country. Indeed I know

of no such thing, and, although we succeeded with a certain syrup

and along certain lines in acclimatising some Humming Birds, it is

no reason why equal or even greater success should not be achieved

by different methods. But if the roads leading to the desired goal

may be many, some are bound to spell failure. The following are a

few hints: Don’t crowd the birds together on the journey; above all

don’t let them become messed up with the fluid. Upon arrival at

destination, beware of aviaries. No matter how large these may

be, the Hummers will sooner or later set about making life intoler¬

able for themselves and other inmates. Besides this, it is all but

impossible in an aviary, while fairly easy in a cage, to prevent the

Hummers from clinging to the wires, especially at bed-time; the

result being a sad wreck of the lovely tail-feathers. Don’t invest

in enormous cages, the birds don’t require them, so long as each is

kept strictly alone From his own particular mode of flight a

Humming Bird will take and enjoy almost as much exercise in a

restricted space as in a huge cage. A contrivance two feet long, two

feet high, one foot and a half broad would comfortably accommodate

any middle-sized Hummer. Let your birds of course have as much

sun as possible, and be sure to spray them daily with tepid water,

unless you provide them each with a small green plant, which, when

wetted, they will use as a bath. Don’t furnish the cages with twiggy

branches, or the Hummers while buzzing in and out of them will

fray the tips of their long wings. A few, a very few, natural perches

of varying thickness are far more preferable. These need always to

be thin, out of all proportion to the dimension of the occupant; for

in the Humming Birds, after centuries of a life spent in the air, the

legs and feet have become reduced to such minute size, weakened

or atrophied, as it were, by lack of use (as in the Swifts) that they

can actually not turn themselves about on a twig, or move along it,

without the help of their wings. Don’t let the temperature drop



