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N. Wharton-Tigar—Notes from the London Zoo



NOTES FROM THE LONDON ZOO


By N. Wharton-Tigar


This month I propose writing about the Humming Birds at the Zoo.

Hummers are of all birds the most romantic, often so small and yet

so beautiful. Waterton is quoted in Gould’s Monograph of the Humming

Birds , as saying : “ Though least in size the glittering mantle of the

Humming Bird entitles it to the first place in the birds of the New

World.”


For many years it was impossible to keep them fit for any length

of time, at the Zoo, and we owe it to the enterprise and determination

of Mr. Seth-Smith that a way was at last found.


The majority of the collection are housed in the well-known Tropical

House, where they lead a happy life with plenty of room for flight,

surrounded by beautiful vegetation, often exotic orchids, and other

lovely flowers, a warm well-ventilated atmosphere, with frequent

spraying which keeps the house at the right moisture ; fountains on

pedestals are provided, and play constantly with gentle spray over the

shallow pools, in which the birds dart in and out, enjoying life to the

full. Tiny banana flies are specially bred and liberated there, to

provide the live food so relished by many species. Their own special

diet of “ nectar ” in small glass bottles with protruding lips is hung up

and in front of them the Hummers hover and feed.


The collection is rather low at the present time, comprising only

six species ; in many cases several specimens of each variety ; all

are in beautiful condition. The oldest inhabitant, a White-throated

Sapphire Hylocharis cyanea, has been in the collection since November,

1933. This variety comes from Eastern Brazil, and as a cage and aviary

bird is well known to many of us. Though very small they are hardy

and tame, and have, like most Hummers, a delightful little song. The

head, throat, and breast are rich deep blue, and they have a few white

feathers on the chin, hence the name ; upper surface and wing coverts,

green, passing into reddish bronze on upper tail coverts ; wings purplish

brown, tail bluish black, under surface green, bill fleshy red deepening

into black at the tips. From the same locality the Zoo has specimens.



