166 J. Delacour — Notes of a Bird-lover in Tropical America


It is no easy matter to accustom the feathered inhabitants of the

tropical jungle to captivity. Certain species are very refractory;

at different times we attempted to keep Jacamars and Manakins in

cages, but without success. Some lived for a few days, others a few

weeks, appearing to become accustomed to the food, only to succumb

in the end. Tanagers, Cassiques, Barbets, Toucans, Sugar-birds,

Quit-quits, etc., accustomed themselves very quickly to a diet of bread

and milk ; insectile mixture for the insectivorous birds, and fruits,

of which bananas, and above all papaya, are the best one can find,

but guava was also greatly appreciated. Small waders, although more

difficult, take well to chopped meat, mixed with meal, etc. Seed-

eaters are generally wild and it is difficult to induce them to feed,

and one loses a good many at first; but our most interesting experience

was with the Humming-birds. These wonderful little things were all

caught with the aid of a blow-pipe loaded with pellets of soft earth,

by which means they were stunned, and were almost always brought to

me in an unconscious state. We then held them in our hands to revive

them and make them feed. Each Humming-bird was placed in a small

cage fitted with fine twigs and a special food vessel covered in metal

with small holes pierced to permit the birds to insert their bills, at the

same time preventing them from soiling their plumage. They were fed

upon a mixture of Mellins’ food, milk, and honey, which was sometimes

substituted by phosphatine in place of the Mellins’.


At first we had to hold each bird for at least ten minutes to induce

it to insert its bill into the liquid food and take nourishment, and they

often drank of themselves after three or four attempts on our part.

When they refused we placed their beaks in our mouths and inhaled

gently, which generally produced the desired result. If a Humming¬

bird was unwilling to feed, we had recourse to the unfailing means of

dipping its beak as far as the nostrils in the liquid, which forced it to

put out the tongue, when it at once drank greedily.


The effect of the food upon these birds is extraordinary and

immediate. A Humming-bird which seemed to be lifeless, buzzed

about actively in a minute’s time ; but, on the other hand, it would

quickly fail again, so that one had to again make it feed as soon as it

showed signs of drooping. We found that it was necessary to catch



