104



A. Chaplin—Merops apiaster



Mr. Webb, who, as we all know, is a master in the art of keeping alive

the more stubbornly delicate birds, was able to bring this awkward

animal home by cramming it with meat: it always refused to feed

itself. Although, on arrival, it was as wild as a bird can be, I was

unable to resist buying it; I am glad that this was so. For a few days

it was crammed with meat and meal-worms and then, by a pleasantly

tempered weather, I tied up its flight-feathers and took it into the

garden. At first it did nought but try to escape, so that I decided to

pretend it was a newly caught peregrine. By this I mean that I applied

to it the usual methods of taming a falcon. Every time it jumped to

the ground it was replaced on my fist or the arm of a chair. When,

gently but firmly, it was at last sufficiently worn out to remain sitting

on my hand so long as my thumbs were held lightly above its back,

then did we together walk along the garden paths, now fast, now slow.

As soon as it had become subdued enough to shuffle its feathers while

perched on my hand, the time had come to attempt to induce it to

feed itself. So, allowing it to return to its natural status as a Bee-eater,

it was held near a flowering shrub, around which were busy innumerable

bees. At first, as expected, it payed no heed, but at last the sultry

sound of hungry hymenoptera proved too much. There was a snap

and a little struggling brown and yellow thing was being manipulated

in a sharp and gracefully curved bill. Each bee, bumble or honey,

as it was caught was manoeuvred until held by the tail, which was

then squeezed until a spurt of liquid told that the creature had been

put out of action. Later, when the bird was tame enough to eat most

varieties of insects, bee-like hover-flies were swallowed instantaneously

and were distinguished at once from their venomous replicas. Finally

the Bee-eater was domesticated enough to catch meal-worms, of which

it became very fond.


Unfortunately, after many days of bee-regime, this charming animal

became so strong that it sailed away with tissues renewed.



