The Hon . Anthony Chaplin—Sunbirds and Others



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honey, and a little Marmite added is a good food mixture, which should

not be too watery: Sunbirds lose all their activity if allowed to get

thin.


I have noticed that the female of Leptocoma asiatica also has a song,

and will sing to the male when they are paired. Nearly all the males

have a display of some sort, which consists often of an accentuation

of the dragon-fly movements, and a peculiar stroking of the flanks

with alternately spread wings, while the tail is spread and held at an

angle horizontally. When pectoral tufts are present these are brought

into prominence and are opened and closed both in flight and while

perched. I have a pair of Leptocoma asiatica in a small outdoor aviary

to themselves : they are very pleased with each other and spend

a great deal of time catching tiny insects on the wing. I have hopes

they may breed.


To turn from the Sunbirds, I should like next to mention a very

rare Tanager which I once possessed. This bird was the Black-throated

Scarlet Tanager (Rhamphocoelus nigrigularis) from the Upper Amazons,

and appears to be the only live specimen ever imported, but the

extraordinary point about it is the fact that it was as tame as the

tamest Hangnest, and would follow anyone about, or let itself be

picked up. It had the same aggressiveness as many Hangnests, and

would administer punishment if not given what it desired ! Tanagers

of this genus are always so wild and nervous that I have no doubt

this bird had been hand-reared. These large Tanagers seem easy to

feed and keep in health, but the Calliste group are difficult to keep for

any length of time. They very often seem to die just when they have

reached what appears to be perfect condition, nearly always from

digestive trouble. This is the more to be lamented as they are such

lovely and all together desirable creatures. To my mind there is little

in nature more beautiful than the sight of a Calliste fastuosa in perfect

condition literally flashing from perch to perch. When really fit the

bird seems to bounce from place to place so quickly that at times

it appears hardly to touch one branch before it has reached another.

I have two rather rare examples in Chlorophonia frontalis and

C. occipitalis , the former from Venezuela and the latter from Mexico.


After the Sunbirds and Tanagers the birds of prey are my favourites



