134



J. Delacour—Rheas



affords an attraction for all men. This choir consists of hundreds of

songbirds, which live round about the High Altar in their cages. It is

a miracle of human energy which the choirmistress, Mrs. Alma Lloyd,,

has achieved in training 400 songbirds as choristers. She has her

feathered choir well in hand. She needs only to sing a few preliminary

bars. Then she gives the signal and they always make an excellent

entry. While Mrs. Alma Lloyd directs with her hands the feathered

choristers twitter their song through the light-filled chapel to the praise

of the Highest.


“ The bird-choir of Sacramento is widely known. Foreigners coming

to the country do not miss the opportunity of admiring Mrs. Lloyd

and her feathered pets. ‘ It was a devil of a job (Heidenarbeit!) to get

my feathered friends so far, 5 the choirmistress explained, ‘ and many

a time I have had my doubts and wanted to give up the attempt—

but success repays all the trouble.


“ ‘ People who come here are touchingly grateful to me. Their

devotions become such a special experience for them, for the old hymns

(church songs) rendered by the birds work on the faithful like a hymn

of the creature in honour of the Creator. 5


“ Alma Lloyd has received tempting offers from all parts of the

world to travel with her little singers. ‘ We want to serve God and not

man, 5 is her reply. 55



RHEAS


By J. Delacour


Rheas are not suitable for small gardens, but I do not know of

better large birds to keep in the country, either in parks or in ordinary

grass fields. Their size protects them from the attacks of ordinary-

sized dogs and foxes, and any sheep fence will keep them in. They

are absolutely hardy, requiring no shelters whatever other than some

trees, bushes, or hedges. For food, grass has only to be supplemented

with either bran, cooked potatoes, cut-up mangolds, or broken dog

biscuit; in fact, most sorts of foodstuff utilized for cattle suit them.



