The Hon. Mrs . H. Broughton—My Malachite Sunbird 83


HYBRID MACAWS


Red and Yellow x Blue and Yellow


These hybrids were bred by Mr. R. Anderson, St. John’s Hill,

Wanganui, New Zealand. The photograph of the extended wing is

particularly interesting, showing, as it does, perfect feather formation

which too often is not the case with aviary-bred Parrots. Mr. R. Ander¬

son is to be congratulated on his repeated success in breeding these

fine birds. We should much like to hear which predominates, the

red and yellow or the blue and yellow, when the birds are in colour.—

Ed.



MY MALACHITE SUNBIRD


By The Hon. Mrs. Henry Broughton


Early this summer I purchased a newly imported cock Malachite

Sunbird and in the perfect ignorance which is bliss carried him out

every morning to swing on a hook in a fairly sheltered angle of the

house, with several other birds likewise swinging. At the same time

I procured two pairs of newly imported Lesser Double Collared Sun-

birds, and they were subjected to the same rough treatment, planted

without ceremony on a ledge attached to the house and fully exposed

to wind and sun for the entire day, sometimes until after dark. How

long they would have survived this treatment I do not know, but

fortunately for them I went away for six weeks and the birds were

left in the care of a great expert, who restored them to me in perfect

health.


Then I discovered spiders were much liked by Sunbirds—my

husband became an expert in catching them, and from that moment

the Malachite Sunbird ate out of my hand literally. He gets wildly

excited at the sight of the match-box or bottle containing the spiders.

Flying backwards and forwards uttering his lovely watery call, he eats

as many as are offered him, the result of much toil gone in a few seconds

—then, highly delighted with himself, he flies round the room, soaring



