The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-18
RUNNING BIRDS AS PETS

They May Be Easily Demonstrated.
you would hardly believe" said a
Pasadena author whose back yard is a
small orange grove filled in with pines,
bananas and wealth of roses, that
humming bird, and a very beautiful one
at, that, could be nuisance; neverthe-
less, it is a fact, though perhaps | am
stretching a point. A gorgeous little
fellow with breastplate of rose bronze
and a voice like a calliope--that is, for
a humnling bird-and his mate built
| their nest one year in the orange tree
over the drive, SO near the ground that
! l could easily look into it. In it were
| two or the most uncanny- looking OBJ
| jects that you ever looked upon. They
! reminded of a baby tarantulas more
| than anything else, though | don't
know that | ever saw one ] watched
! the youngsters for days, and finally
| began experimenting with them to see
what they would eat. Sugar and water
| seemed to be the favorite tipple, and /
| kept little vial of it in the tree and
| fed them with a straw. The little
| creatures learned to know me, and the
moment I appeared they opened their
enormous mouths and took the drop of
| nectar with great gusto. Every day
they grew, and daily took on more
feathers, and 1 celebrated the opening
OF their eyes by giving them some
minute flies or gnats A few days later
l was surprised to find them sitting on
the edge Of the nest side by side. They
were taking a survey of the world and
incidentally exercising their wings,
which they did in a most interesting
fashion. They would rise a little, as
though on the tips of their toes, their
wings vibrating so rapidly that you
could not see them; never sufficiently
to carry them ahead, but merely to lift
them few inches.
They were 50 completely tame that I
decided to adopt them. So l cut off the
branch and removed them to my study,
fastening the nest in the window, and
then began an association as soon
the birds began to fly and follow me
about the room, and when tired they
would alight on my head or finger, if I
held it cut. They were absolutely
without fear. They soon flew around
the house freely; would suspend them
selves in midair and feed from the hand
and allow themselves to be carried |
about on finger. They left the nest
in a few days and would follow me
everywhere, up stairs and down. AT
night they had a small basket in which |
to sleep, and they roasted on its edge |
in a dark closet with great contentment |
They never attempted to put their |
heads beneath their wings after the |
fashion of birds in general, for very |
good reasons-the wings were so small |
and the head so large. They We're early |
risers, and were out of the closet by or |
shortly before daylight and awoke me |
by the very simple method of lowering |
over my face within a few inches of my |
nose and tanning me with the constant |
beating of their wings, the loud hum |
ming sometimes bringing me out of the |
deepest slumber. This accomplished, |
they darted over me, their black, bead |
like eyes sparkling, uttering a faint cry
or note If ] pretended that I did not
see them this was repeated until l did
awake; then 7 would reach over to the
table which stood at the head of the
bed take the vial of nectar and feed
them with small drops, the two birds
lowering in the air, their long tongues
projecting through the liquid so rapidly
that they could not be followed. Then
when tired they would rest on my finger
and gaze a me in contemplative fash
ion, as much as to say, Well, what do
you think of it?'
Il have never had pets so thoroughly
charming. They would fly, humming |
about the roses in the house, now hid