156 Sunbirds in captivity : Past, present and future.


The year 1911 may be said to close the past and commence

the present history of caged Sunbirds, for the latter era under the

new regime introduced- by Mr. Ezra, commenced with the appear¬

ance of that enthusiast’s first Amethyst-rumped Sunbird at the

L.C.J3.A. Show in December, 1911. This bird appeared again in

absolutely perfect condition at the Crystal Palace in February of the

following year (see ‘ Avicultural Magazine,’ 1912, p. 140) and is still

alive and flourishing to-day, a regular veteran among Sunbirds and a

perfect witness to the success of its treatment.


By 1912 “ the present ” was in full swing, as is shown by our

1913 volume, to which Mr. Ezra contributed his notes on those in

his possession ; in fact, the whole volume is full of Sunbirds, the

index containing the names of a dozen or more, African as well as

Indian.


Of this “present,” so recent and so accessible in our pages,

I will say no more, and as for “ the future,” that is in the lap

of the gods and therefore needs no words except those of hope.


The failures of the past were the result of want of know¬

ledge ; the successes of the present are due to the discovery of the

treatment needed. This Mr. Ezra defines as :


Proper treatment on arrival, cleaning, washing, etc.


Proper food, properly mixed and given.


Absolute cleanliness.


Moderate warmth.


Given these, Sunbirds he considers hardy. At any rate they

thrive and live out their lives in happiness and beauty. Let us hope

that when we once again can return to the pursuits of peace, we may

soon hear of aviary-bred Sunbirds. There has already been promise

in that direction, for Purple Sunbirds have nested at least once in an

aviary, and this year a pair of Amethysts in the Zoo got as far as

hatching a young bird.



