264 Correspondence.


CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



A LETTER TO THE EDITOR FROM THE LATE LORD BRABOURNE

ON HUMMING BIRDS.


DEAR Mr. ASTLEY,—I have two or three letters of yours to answer.

I was interested to hear about those Humming Birds and hope they are still

doing well.


I am very sceptical as to my ability to bring any home successfully, also

as to bird-lime being the best means of capture. Could you not find out how

Count de Segur’s were actually caught ? Where I was up north, a Humming

Bird (Amcizilia Amazali) used to fly into my room frequently about twice a week,

and the silly thing used to bash itself against the walls and ceiling, often till

nearly stunned, when I used to catch it and let it out. In the house where I

live here, one of the men has grown nasturtiums up his window box, and the

southern form of the above (A. Leucophcea ) almost daily comes to flutter around

the flowers and sometimes comes right inside the room to feed on those that

grow through the balustrades, but I am afraid I should meet considerable

opposition if I attempted a capture of that fowl. This is right in the middle of

Lima too. I have lately come across a magnificent Humming Bird at 7,800,

one of the Petasophorse (I think Anais). It is a huge bird fora Hummer (or

seemed so till the day before yesterday, when I got my first Giant Hummer in

the same place). This Petasophora is, as you probably know, vivid green, with

the most iridescent sapphire throat and elongated feathers on the ear, and with

a large splotch of sapphire on the lower belly. I got another fine Hummer there

also, with a garnet throat. I havn’t an idea what he is. The Giant Hummers

are extraordinary to watch flying. Taczanowski says like a Swift, but they

seem to me to skim and flit more like a bat. You also get the beautiful little

Thaumastura Cora there, which is also the commonest of its family down here,

but only in the summer.


Glad you liked the article. Some time ago I put together some notes for

an article on Finches ; but the trouble is that I have now got three more kinds

from Matucana (7,800 feet), which I cannot so far identify, and shall have to

send to Chubb. If I might suggest as to the plate for same, I should figure one

of the following Phrygilus Fruticeti, Catamenia Analoides, Plieucticus

Clirysogaster, or one of those that I can’t nard'e, a large bird with general huffish

colouring underneath, and white throat and dark grey above. Perhaps some of

these have been already figured. Anyhow, I will send some good skins to colour

from.


Yes, I take in the Avicultural Magazine, but am not having it sent

out here [Lima].


I am afraid I do not keep a diary that would be any use for publication.

I have a large book in which I enter under its name (or a name I invent for it)

each new bird that I come across and jot down any fact I notice about it, such as

abundance, food, habits, where to be found, etc., etc.


Yours sincerely, BRABOURNE.


[And it is men like Lord Brabourne which this terrifically appalling war

is depriving us of! !—ED.]



