98 A. Silver—Breeding of White’s Warbling Finch


Like most species of the genus Chalcomitra , it does not become so

confidingly tame as some of the Anlhreptes or Cinnyris, but its striking

and unusual coloration and graceful movements combine to make

it one of the most desirable of the nectarinidse.


Owing to their feeding habits, Buff-throated Sunbirds are

exceedingly difficult to capture alive. Bombax trees grow to a great

height and the lower half of the trunk is branchless, and so climbing

them in the humid enervating heat of the Gold Coast forest is an

arduous proceeding. The crevices in the bark harbour colonies of

vicious black ants which emerge in thousands as one labours up the

tree, and if one can survive this onslaught and reach the branches it

is to discover that the fun has only just commenced, for here large

red ants that make their nests among the leaves advance from all

directions “ with intent to do bodily harm ”.


Both these varieties will fight an intruder like maddened warriors

and swarm over him in incredible numbers inflicting painful bites.

Added to this, swarms of small flies, resembling minute bees in shape,

are attracted to one’s eyes for the moisture, and hover in front of them

with an annoying zigzag flight.


The upper trunk and branches of bombax trees are studded with

protuberances with sharp thorny tips so that it is almost impossible

to climb them without getting one’s arms badly torn.



BREEDING OF WHITE’S WARBLING FINCH


By Allen Silver


During the late autumn of 1936 I received from a Continental

dealer eight small birds which were offered erroneously.


Although they were not the birds I expected to receive, they

belonged to a group which previously I had not seen alive.


Upon investigation, they proved to be Warbling Finches of three

species, viz. Poospiza whitei, ornata, and torquata. The Binged

Warbling Finches were dying from malnutrition and were too far

gone to resuscitate, and the others were not happy on a seed diet, so



