62



African Sunbirds.



I was able to start for home with a pair of Malachite Sunbirds and

a pair of Lesser Double-collared Sunbirds, the smallest of the South

African species, I believe ; the latter, at the time of writing — May—

being in perfect condition, the cock in full colour and singing all

day, his beautiful green head, neck, and back glistening in the sun,-

looking almost as if they were wet, the steel blue band across his

chest making a splendid contrast with the broader scarlet band.

The hen is a sober little grey bird.


I am sorry to relate I lost the hen Malachite Sunbird in the

Tropics owing to the exceptional heat we had on that voyage. The

butcher’s shop, where the birds have to travel, was lit artificially,

and the heat almost unbearable, so I got permission from the

captain to hang the cages under the awning on the upper deck,

but the heat seemed to beat through the canvas, and it was as bad

as being below. All the birds were sitting with their beaks open,

panting, and while I was wondering what I could do, the hen

Malachite reeled off her perch in a fit, and was dead in a few

seconds.* I sprayed the remaining three with water, and asked if I

could not be allowed to have them in my cabin, but I was told it was

impossible. Regulations, rules, must be upheld, so back they had

to go to the inferno below.


The next day, when I went to feed them, the cock Malachite

was too weak to get on his perch, so I took them along to my cabin

and fed them there, in the daylight. The Malachite revived, and I

suddenly realised the bird would not feed by gaslight, and so only

had four hours of daylight out of the twenty-four while he was with

me. To make a long story short—well, I cannot tell you exactly

where he spent the remaining ten days of the voyage, but there was

a hook over the sofa in the cabin, from which my dresses were

suspended, and he seemed to enjoy disappearing into the folds of

these dresses while the captain made his daily inspection of the

cabins. Anyway, he never saw the butcher’s shop again! and

managed to live till I got him to London, where, thanks to timely

hints from Mr. Ezra and the Comte de Segur, I was able to give

him the warmth and live food he needed.


He is now in splendid health and condition, though out of



* [A most vivid description. One can almost see the bird fall! — G. R.]



