The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-09

1t proves in reality. and Eve come. to
see 1t is not what we own in house or
land, but what we are in heart, that
makes glad Thanksgivingm-N Y.
Observer.
Humming-BirIs in Captivity. ,..,-
Ut. A. Aepperlein, of Cincinnati, has
Wfitten very interesting paper on
captive humming- birds. In Nav a
year ago two humming- birds strayed
into the house of a lady of his acauaiat-
ance and were captured. The lady was
a warm friend of birds and animals.
and she resolved to try the experiment
OF domestlcating the little creatures, al
thouSh she was not unaware that such
attempts ended usually in the death of
the birds after few days. She had no
suitable cage so she selected a candy
Jar and fixed a perch inside. In the
bottom she placed a bouquet Of flowers,
and covered the open end with gauze.
Inc HoWerS We're renewed every day.
The convolvulus, tropaolum, honey-
suckle and other flowers with a lone
ealyx were selected. A little honey
was dropped into every blossom, the
birds began to sip . the sweet food the
the first day, humming above the flower
caps, darting their tongues in and out
among them swift as lightning They
also snapped at little insects and de-
Vouled them.
After some weeks they were given
some honey thinned with water in a
small dish. They sat upon their low
perch and Tapped the honey with their
tongues ii ke dog drinking water. In
short time the birds were so tame
that the gauze which confined them
was removed and they flew about the
1 room while their glass palace was
cleaned and furnished with fresh flow
ers and honey; but as soon as this oper-
alton was. finished they flew. into the
giass again and began eating the honey.
Il the lady took a nap after. dinner,
they perched themselves on her fore
head and enjoyed their siesta there.
| They hanlmed aboHtthe room for hours, (.
hating for rest upon the finger of our
friend and dressing their feathers.
For change, they would fly again to
the honey ,Sbut after fiomentary taste
away they would go, flying about their
friend. Toward evening they sought
their perch in the glass palace and sang
quick notes in the finest pianissimo.
They Occasionally snapped. at small
insects, but their chief food was honey,
and later strong sugar water, since the
honey thinned with water, often settled
to the bottom of the dish. They 'thrived
finely on the sugar-water, too. As the
weather became warn in June the gauze
covering was entirely removed from
their glass palace and the little GREAT
ures were given the range of the whole
room, but their food was always placed
in theirsold dwelling. eEc s2frW fE
The tiny birds were not at all timor-
GUS, even at first; they did not flutter
about anXiously when their flowers were
removed and fresh ones brought. Their
eyes said plainly we know you are good
to us. They thankfully appreciated the
care of their protector, and, although
they manifested no uneasiness when
strangers were in the room. they could
not be induced to perch upon anybody's
finger but that of their tender keeper.
! At the end Of September one of them
began to be ailfng and a few days after
was found dead upon the floor The
other pined from hour to hour, and
when the cooler nights at the end of
October approached, it too succumbed
to the -unfriendly climate and to its
plainly-manifested homesickness.
Humming-birds appear to prefer GER
tain flowers from, which to draw their
nourishment, whether insects or honey,
They hover about the blossoms of the
horse-chestnpt especially, says DIR. Zip
perlein, He knows tree of that kind
about which dozens of them may be seen
of an evening. He adds: 6 1t is true
that this is not the first successful at
tempt at tanning humming- birds since
the time of the Montezumas, when they
were kept in great Conservatives, but
it proves anew withproper nourishment
aud care they can be. kept long time
in captivity. A conservatory fitted up
with tropical plants would be well
adapted to the purpose and render our
observation of these flying diamonds
easy, aside from the attraction these
shimmering little birds would present
in every geological garden"