176 Captain H. S. Stokes—The Cargo of Living Jewels


quantity of water advised by the importer. We also discontinued

the use of sugar in addition to the Mellin’s, honey, and condensed milk,

all of which contain sugar, and up to the present the birds have shown

every sign of good health and spirits. The food they are having now

consists of one dessert spoonful of the three above ingredients, a

pinch of Liebig’s Extract of Meat, and a pinch of powdered charcoal,

mixed with half a pint of hot water. This, when cooled, is poured

into the bottles and is changed for a fresh supply after about four

hours. In the evening honey and water is substituted and left in

the aviary until the following morning.


In addition to this syrup diet the birds are supplied with such

insect food as green fly and fruit-flies. They are also given an assort¬

ment of flowers.


The species that the Zoological Society has obtained are as

follows :—


Brazilian Swallow-tail (Eupetomena macroura), Buby and Topaz

(■Chrysolampis elatus), Pucheran’s Emerald (Chlorostilbon aureoventris

pucherani), Black-tailed Emerald (Agyrtrina fimbriata nigricauda),

White-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis cyanus), Hairy Hermit (Glaucis

hirsuta).


Mr. Delacour secured a number of Humming Birds from this

consignment, amongst which the following additional species are

represented :—


Pretre’s Hermit (Phcethornis pretrii), Bed-vented Hermit (P. ruber),

Dusky Jacobin (Melanotrochilus fuscus), Black-throated Mango

(Anthracothorax nigricollis), Brazilian Wood Nymph (Thalurania

glaucopis), Southern Gold-throat (Polytmus thaumantias ).


M. Delacour writes : “ All are perfect so far and so pretty.”



THE CARGO OF LIVING JEWELS


By Captain H. S. Stokes


The jewel boat docked at Havre on 23rd May, and M. Delacour,

Bailey from the London Zoo, and I were the first people up the gang¬

way to see what we had specially gone to Erance for.



