Chapter 5

THE GIANT HUMMING BIRD (Patagona gigas).

"This largest of all Humming Birds," observes Gould, "is said to be a bold and vigorous flier, to be quick in all its actions, and to pass from flower to flower with the greatest rapidity; notwithstanding the breadth and volume of its wings, which would seem to be far better adapted for lengthened and continuous progress than for poising in the air, which the bird is in the constant habit of doing while visiting, with little choice, the summer flowers of the forest. It is stated that, unlike the other members of the family, it may frequently be seen perched on some small tree or shrub."

Mr. Cumming states that in Chili thePatagona gigasis strictly migratory; it arrives from thenorth in August, and after spending three months in that country, during which time it breeds, returns to whence it came. The nest is a somewhat large, cup-shaped structure, composed of mosses, lichens, and similar materials, put together with cobwebs, and placed in the fork of the branch of some tree or shrub, generally on one overhanging a turbulent stream of water. It lays two eggs, which are white, and about three-quarters of an inch from end to end.

THE SWORD-BILL HUMMING BIRD (Docimastes ensifer).

THE SWORD-BILL HUMMING BIRD.

The SWORD-BILLHUMMINGBIRD(Docimastes ensifer) cannot possibly be mistaken for any other species, owing to the extraordinary size of the slightly-curved beak, which fully equals the entire body in length; the wing is short and broad, and the very decidedly forked tail of medium size. The entire mantle is of a beautiful mineral green; the head copper-red; the throat, centre of breast, and under side of a greenish bronze, which shades into light green at the sides. A smallwhite spot is placed behind the eye; the wings are purplish brown; the tail-feathers dark brown, with a metallic green lustre; the beak is blackish brown, and foot yellowish brown. The male is eight inches and a half long (of this measurement four inches belong to the beak); the wing is three inches, and the tail two inches and a half. The female is of paler hue on the beak, and spotted with white and brown on the under side, enlivened by a metallic shimmer on the sides; her entire length is seven inches and a half, the beak measuring but three inches. This new and remarkable species, we are told by Gould, inhabits the magnificent region of Santa Fé de Bogota, and was also seen in the Caracas and Quito by Mr. Hartwig, the celebrated botanist and traveller, who states that he observed it engaged in procuring insects from the lengthened corollas of flower-bells, for exploring which its elongated beak is admirably fitted; affording another instance of the wonderful adaptation of structure to a special purpose so frequently observable in every department of Nature's works.

The GNOMES (Polytmus) are moderately large and powerfully built birds, with strong, medium-sized, and more or less curved beaks; the foot is furnished with short toes and long claws; the wings are slightly curved; the broad tail, which is scarcely longer than the closed pinion, has its two exterior feathers much shortened. The plumage is not remarkable for its brilliancy, being usually of a greenish or brownish shade above, and brown variously spotted beneath; the outer tail-feathers have light tips; the sexes are almost alike in colour.

THE SAW-BILL.

The SAW-BILL(Grypus nævius) is at once recognisable by its straight, powerful beak, which rises high at its base, and is twice the length of the head, and by its broad tail, the two outer feathers of which are short. Upon the back the plumage is of a pale metallic green, glowing with a reddish lustre; the brow and crown of head are dark brown; all the feathers on the mantle, except those on the wing-covers, are edged with reddish yellow; the sides of the neck are yellowish red; a narrow line that passes along the throat, the breast, belly, and rump are yellowish white, each feather striped with black; another pale reddish yellow line passes over the eyes; the quills are black, those at the exterior enlivened by a violet gloss; the centre tail-feathers are green and the outermost reddish yellow; the eye is dark brown; the upper mandible black, and the lower yellowish white; the foot is flesh-pink. The body is five inches and three-quarters long; the wing measures three inches, and the tail one inch and a half.

"TheGrypus nævius," says M. Deyrolle, "is common in all the provinces of Santa Caterina, in Brazil, but is more frequently met with in woody situations than elsewhere. Its flight is exceedingly noisy, very vigorous, and capable of being sustained for a great length of time, the bird rarely alighting. Its cry is so loud and piercing as to be heard above everything else, while it flutters round the flowers of various species of orchids, from which it obtains its principal nourishment."

"In all probability," says Gould, "the serrations with which the cutting edges of both mandibles of this bird are furnished are expressly provided to enable it to capture with facility some peculiar kinds of insect food; perhaps spiders and small coleoptera. The nest sent to me by Mr. Reeves is precisely similar in size, form, and situation to those constructed by the members of the genusPhaëtornis, being of a lengthened, pointed form, composed of fine vegetable fibres and mosses, intermingled with which, especially on the lower part, are portions of dead leaves and pieces of lichen attached to the extremities of the leaves of apparently a species of palm."

The velocity with which these Humming Birds glance through the air is extraordinary, and so rapid is the vibration of their wings, that their movement eludes the sight; when hovering before a flower, they seem suspended as if by some magic power.

THE SICKLE-BILLED HUMMING BIRD.

The SICKLE-BILLEDHUMMINGBIRD(Eutoxeres aquila) principally differs from its congeners in the sickle-shaped formation of its powerful beak and its conical tail. In this species the back is of a glossy greyish green; the head and a small crest by which it is adorned are brownish black, these feathers and those upon the rump being edged with brown; the under side is brownish black, marked on the throat with greyish yellow and on the breast with white spots; the quills are purplish brown, the exterior secondaries tipped with white.

"It is evident," says Gould, "that the bill of this very rare and singular Humming Bird is adapted for some especial purpose, and we may readily infer that it has been expressly formed to enable this species to obtain its food from the deep and remarkably-shaped blossoms of the various orchidaceous and other plants, with curved, tubular flowers, so abundant in the country the bird inhabits, and for exploring which a bill of any other form would be useless." At present nothing is known of its habits.

The SUN BIRDS (Phaëtornis) have a large, long head and slightly-curved beak. Their foot is small and delicate, with partially feathered tarsus and formidable claws; the tail, in which the centre feathers far exceed the rest in length, is long and conical. The plumage is dull, and the sexes alike in colour, the only difference observable being the formation of the tail.

THE CAYENNE HERMIT.

The CAYENNEHERMIT(Phaëtornis superciliosus) is about seven inches long; the wing measures two inches and one-third, and the tail two inches and two thirds. In this species the mantle is of a pure metallic green, and the under side reddish grey; the feathers on the back have reddish yellow borders; a pale reddish yellow line passes above and below the eye; the quills are brown, shaded with violet; the centre tail-feathers, which are twice the length of those at the sides, are of a dull metallic green, shading into black towards the white tip, and edged with reddish yellow; the upper mandible is black, and the lower half of the under one pale yellow; the feet are flesh-pink. The female has quieter plumage and a shorter tail; the latter is but slightly wedge-shaped, and fully two inches less than that of her mate.

"ThePhaëtornis superciliosus," says Gould, "is one of the commonest species of the genus, examples having been sent to Europe for at least the last hundred years. Its native countries are Guiana, Cayenne, and Surinam; its range is known to extend towards Brazil, as far as the confluence of the Amazon, but, as I believe, does not advance farther south than Bahia. Open trails covered with shrub or brushwood are the localities it most frequents."

Wallace gives the following graphic description of the movements of thePhaëtornisand some nearly-allied species:—"I have distinctly observed them visit in rapid succession every leaf and flower on a branch, balancing themselves vertically in the air, passing their beak closely over the under surface of each leaf, and thus capturing any small insect that might be upon them. While doing this the two long feathers of their tail have a vibratory motion, serving apparently as a rudder to assist them in performing the delicate operation. I have seen others searching up and down stems and dead sticks in the same manner, every now and then picking off an insect, exactly as a Bush Shrike or Tree Creeper does"—with this exception, that the Humming Bird is constantly on the wing. They also capture insects in the true Fissirostral manner, and may often be seen perched on the dead twig of a lofty tree, the same station that is chosen by the Tyrant Flycatchers and Jacamars, and from which, like those birds, they dart off a short distance, and, after a few whirls and balancings, returnto the identical twig they had left. In the evening, after sunset, when the Goatsuckers are beginning their search over the rivers, I have seen Humming Birds come out of the forest and remain a long time on the wing, now stationary, now darting about with the greatest rapidity, imitating in a limited space the varied evolutions of the Goatsuckers, and evidently for the same end and purpose.

THE SICKLE-BILLED HUMMING BIRD (Eutoxeres aquila).

The MOUNTAIN NYMPHS (Oreotrochilus) are at once recognisable by the very peculiar formation of the wings, in which the shafts of the exterior quills are remarkably broad. The strong, high beak is of medium size, and the short tail almost straight at its extremity, only the outer feathers being slightly rounded. The magnificently-coloured and glossy plumage is blue or green upon the mantle, and of a lighter shade on the under side; the region of the throat is usually edged with the most glowing tints, and the exterior tail-feathers are often white. The sexes vary considerably in their coloration.

THE CHIMBORAZIAN HILL-STAR.

The CHIMBORAZIANHILL-STAR(Oreotrochilus Chimborazo), one of the most magnificent members of this group, has a powerful body, long, thin, and slightly-curved beak, moderate-sized but strong wings, a broad rounded tail, formed of pointed feathers, and powerful feet, partially covered with down. The sexes differ considerably in appearance. The male is of a resplendent violet on thehead and region of the throat, with greyish olive-brown mantle and white belly, shading to yellowish brown at its sides; the centre of the throat is decorated with a long triangular patch of glossy green, divided from the light under side by a line of velvety black; the quills are purplish brown, and the centre tail-feathers dark green, the rest greenish black on the outer and white on the inner web; the beak and feet are black. The female is olive-green on the back, and olive-brown on the under side, slightly marked with a lighter shade; the breast is white, each feather spotted with brown at its tip; the centre tail-feathers are brilliant dark green, the rest light greenish brown, and white towards the root; the two exterior feathers have a white spot on the inner web. The body is four inches and three-quarters long; the tail measures two inches and three-eighths.

THE CHIMBORAZIAN HILL-STAR (Oreotrochilus Chimborazo).

"This beautiful species," says M. Jules Bourcier, "is exclusively confined to the volcanic mountain, Chimborazo. Here, at an altitude where vegetation ceases, and near the eternal snows, it loves to dwell, the height of its range appearing to be governed by that of the chuquiraga, its favourite shrub, the flowers of which afford it an abundance of nectarian and insect food. It is solitary in its habits, and so pugnacious that it immediately offers battle to intruders on its haunts. The male perches on the extremity of the most elevated branch, and is rarely found near the female, which, unlike her mate, invariably perches near the ground, a circumstance that, combined with hersombre colouring, renders her very difficult of detection. Both sexes retain their greyish green garb during the first year of their existence; the young males may, however, be at all times distinguished by a tolerably well-defined collar of olive-green and brown. The nest is formed of lichens, and is either suspended to or sheltered beneath a ledge of rock. The eggs, two in number, have a white shell."

The SABRE-WINGS (Campylopterus) are at once recognisable from the peculiar shape of the wing, which is broad, with the anterior quills strongly curved, their shafts, in adult birds, becoming suddenly dilated. The tail is large and blunt or broadly rounded at the end, and the powerful beak, which is half as long again as the head, but slightly curved, compressed at its sides, and broader than it is high. The legs are delicate, and the claws long.

DE LATTREI'S SABRE-WING.

DELATTREI'SSABRE-WING(Campylopterus hemileucurusorCampylopterus De Lattrei) is of a deep blueish black on the head; the wing-covers, back, and rump are green; the quills dark purplish brown; the tail-feathers blueish black, shaded with green; a small white spot is placed above the dark eye; the beak is black, the foot dark brown. The head of the female is bronze-colour, the rest of the mantle glossy green, with a golden shade; the region of the throat and sides of the breast are greenish blue, and the under side grey, with a greenish gloss. This gaily-tinted bird inhabits Mexico and Central America.

"Of all the members of the genus," says Gould, "this species is by far the largest and the most beautifully coloured. It is said to be the boldest of its race, and to be so extremely pugnacious that every bird venturing into the neighbourhood of its territory is furiously attacked and driven away. This peculiar feature in the habits of the race explains the use of the broad and powerful shafts of the primaries, which form so conspicuous a character in the males of theCampylopterus. This bird is strictly a Mexican or Central American species. M. de Lattrei, to whom we are indebted for its discovery, states that it is found in the forests of Jalapa during two months of the year only, that it is known by the name of the 'Luce-fleur-royal,' and that it feeds during the entire day, instead of during any particular hours. He adds that it selects a flowering shrub, which it never quits, and from which it chases with anger all the species of the family that may seem desirous of approaching it. On taking flight it utters a cry."

"The large showy tail of this Humming Bird," says Mr. Salvin, "makes it one of the most conspicuous when on the wing. The females are especially abundant, their ratio to the males being as five to two."

"This beautiful bird," says M. Montes de Oca, "which is generally known in Mexico by the name of the Royal Blue Myrtle-sucker, arrives in the vicinity of Jalapa, Coantepec, and Orizaba in considerable numbers during the months of October and November, and is mostly found feeding from a plant called marapan between the hours of seven and one o'clock. During this time it is seldom seen to alight, and then only for a very short time, but is constantly on the wing, flitting from flower to flower, describing segments of a circle in its flight, and sometimes almost touching the ground. For the remainder of the day very few are to be seen, and I think it probable that they visit the woods for certain kinds of mosquitoes, with which I have often found their stomachs well filled. The pugnacity of this species is very remarkable; it is very seldom that two males meet without an aërial battle. The contest commences with a sharp, choleric shriek, after which, with dilated throats, the feathers of the whole of their bodies erected on end, and their tails outspread, they begin to fight with their bills and wings; the least powerful soon falls to the ground or flies away.I have never known one of these battles last longer than about ten seconds, and in the specimens I have under my notice in cages, their fighting has mostly ended in the splitting of the tongue of one of the two, which then surely dies, from being unable to feed."

The TRUE SABRE-WINGS (Platystylopterus) are recognisable by their comparatively great size and strength, and the unusual development of the shafts of the exterior quills; the tail is straight at its extremity; the beak short and powerful, and almost straight.

THE FAWN-COLOURED SABRE-WING.

The FAWN-COLOUREDSABRE-WING(Platystylopterus rufus) is about five inches and a half long, and seven broad. In this species the mantle and central tail-feathers are of a bronze-like green, the under side brownish yellow, and the exterior tail-feathers brownish yellow with a black spot near the tip. This bird is an inhabitant of Guatemala. We are entirely without particulars as to its life and habits.

The JEWEL HUMMING BIRDS (Hypophania) have a powerful and slightly-curved beak and small foot, in some instances covered with down; the wing, which somewhat resembles that of theOreotrochilus, is sometimes short, sometimes long; in the otherwise short tail two of the feathers are generally much prolonged.

THE CRIMSON TOPAZ HUMMING BIRD.

The CRIMSONVTOPAZHUMMINGBIRD(Topaza pella), one of the most splendid species of this highly bedizened group, has the crown of the head and a line about the throat of velvety blackness; the rump is copper-colour, shading into rich deep red, and glistening with a golden light; the wing-covers are green; the throat is golden in some lights, emerald-green in others, glancing with the yellow radiance of the topaz; the quills are reddish brown; the centre tail-feathers, which project three inches beyond the rest, are chestnut-brown, and those at the exterior reddish brown. The female is principally of a greenish hue, with a red throat, and is far less resplendent than her mate. The length of this bird, including the long tail-feathers, exceeds eight inches.

We learn from Gould that Cayenne, Trinidad, Surinam, and the fluviatile regions of the Lower Amazon are the native habitat of this gorgeous species, which may be regarded, not only as one of the gems of ornithology, but as one of the most beautifully-adorned species of theTrochilida.

Mr. Waterton thus describes the Crimson Topaz in his "Wanderings:" "One species alone never shows his beauty to the sun; and were it not for his lovely shining colours you might almost be tempted to class him with the Goatsuckers, on account of his habits. He is the largest of all the Humming Birds, and is all red and changing gold-green, except the head, which is black. He has two long feathers in the tail, which cross each other, and these have gained him from the Indians the name 'Karabinite,' or 'Ara Humming Bird.' You never find him on the coast, or where the river is salt, or in the heart of the forest, unless fresh water be there. He keeps close by the side of woody fresh water rivers and dark lonely creeks; he leaves his retreat before sunrise to feed on the insects near the water; he returns to it as soon as the sun's rays cause a glare of light; he is sedentary all day long, but comes out again for a short time after sunset." The nest, represented in our woodcut, is deeply cup-shaped, the walls exceedingly thin, and the whole structure composed apparently of fragments of a species of fungus, very much resembling German tinder, bound together by cobwebs or some similar material. The two white eggs are about five-eighths of an inch in length.

THE BLACK-CAPPED HUMMING BIRD.

The BLACK-CAPPEDHUMMINGBIRD(Aithurus polytmus) has a short, slightly-forked tail, the two outer feathers of which are prolonged six inches beyond the rest. The male has a long tuft over each ear, and is velvety black on the crown of the head; the mantle is green; the under side glossy emerald-green, shading into blueish black on the belly and tail-covers; the quills are purplish black; the tail-feathers deep black, with a greenish shade towards the roots; the eye is deep brown, the beak bright red, tipped with black, and the foot brown; the male is ten inches long, and six broad; his wing measures two inches and three-quarters, and his tail seven inches and a quarter. The female, whose length does not exceed four inches and a half, with wings two inches and a quarter, and the tail one inch and seven-eighths long, is of a copper-green on the mantle, and white beneath; her sides are spotted with green.

THE CRIMSON TOPAZ HUMMING BIRD (Topaza pella).

"This Humming Bird," says Mr. Gosse, "is the gem of Jamaican ornithology. Its slender form, velvet crest, emerald bosom, and lengthened tail-plumes render it one of the most elegant members of its truly brilliant family. It is a permanent resident in Jamaica, and is not uncommonly seen at all seasons and in all situations. It loves to frequent the margins of roadsides, where it sucks the blossoms of the trees, occasionally descending, however, to the lower shrubs; and is abundant on the summits of the range of mountains known as the Bluefield Ridge. Behind these peaks, whichare visible from the sea, at an elevation of half a mile, there runs through the dense woods a narrow path, just passable for a horse, overrun with beautiful ferns of many graceful forms, and always damp and cool. No habitation occurs within several miles, and no cultivation, save the isolated provision grounds of the negroes, which teem with enormous arums, and are hidden from view in the thick woods. The refreshing coolness of the roads, the unbroken solitude, combined with the peculiarity and luxuriance of the vegetation, made it one of my favourite resorts. Not a tree, from the thickness of one's wrist to the gigantic magnitude of the hoary fig and cotton tree, but is clothed with gigantic parasites. Begonias with waxen leaves and ferns with hirsute stems climb up the trunks of enormous bromelias; various orchids, with matted roots and grotesque blossoms, spring from every bough; and long lianas, like the cordage of a ship, depend from the loftiest branches or stretch from tree to tree. Elegant tree-ferns and towering palms are numerous. Here and there the wild plantain waves its long flag-like leaves from amidst the humbler bushes; and in the most obscure corners, over some decaying log, nods the noble spike of a magnificent limed arum. Nothing is flaunting or showy; all is solemn and subdued, but all is exquisitely beautiful. The underwood consists largely of the plant called glass-eye berry, the blossoms of which, though presenting little beauty in form or hue, are eminently attractive to the Long-tailed Humming Bird. These bushes are at no part of the year out of blossom, their scarlet berries appearing at all seasons on the same stalk as the flowers; and here, at any time, one may with tolerable certainty calculate on finding these very lovely birds; but it is in March, April, and May that they abound. I suppose that I have sometimes seen not fewer than a hundred come successively to rifle the blossoms within the space of as many yards in one forenoon. They are, however, in no respects gregarious; though three or four may be seen at one moment hovering round the blossoms of the same shrub, there is no association—each is governed by its individual preference, and each attends to its own affairs. It is worthy of remark that males compose by far the greater portion of the individuals observed at this elevation, while very few females are seen there; whereas in the lowlands this sex outnumbers the other. In March a considerable number are seen to be clad in the livery of the adult male, but without the long tail-feathers, whilst others possess them in various stages of development. These are, I have no doubt, males of the preceding season. It is also common to find one of those lengthened feathers much shorter than the other; and in their aërial encounters with each other a tail-feather is sometimes displaced. The loud sound made by the strong vibration of the wings of the male is more shrill than that produced by those of the female, and indicates the proximity of the bird before the eye has detected it. The male utters an almost incessant chirp, both whilst resting on a twig or feeding from the flowers. They do not invariably probe the blossoms on the wing, but frequently when alighted and sitting with closed pinions; and they often partially sustain themselves whilst feeding by clinging with the feet to a leaf, with the wings expanded and vibrating. When perched, they usually sit in a nearly upright posture, with the head thrown backwards, the beak pointing at a small angle above the horizon, the feet almost hidden by the body being brought into contact with the perch, the tail thrust forward under the belly, and the long feathers crossing each other near their middle."

The nests, which are most numerous in June, are placed in a great variety of situations; that described by Mr. Gosse was "principally composed of silk-cotton, very closely pressed, mixed with the still more glossy cotton of an asclepias, particularly round the edge, the seeds remaining attached to some of the filaments. On the outside the whole structure is quite covered with spiders' webs, crossed and recrossed in every direction, and made to adhere by some viscous substance, evidently applied after the web was placed, probably saliva. Little bits of pale green lichen and fragments of thin laminated bark are stuck here and there on the outside, by means of the webs having been passed over them. The whole forms a very compact cup, one inch and three-quarters deep without, andone inch deep within, the sides about a quarter of an inch thick, the inner margin a little overarching, so as to narrow the opening; the total diameter at the top one inch and a half. The eggs are of a long oval form and pure white, save that when fresh the contents produce a reddish tinge, from the thinness of the shell. The above are the usual form, dimensions, and materials of the nest. Variations, however, often occur from local causes: thus, in one from a rocky situation only moss is used, and the base is prolonged to a point; one now before me is wholly composed of pure silk-cotton, bound profusely with the finest web, undistinguishable except on the closest examination, not a fragment of lichen mars the beautiful uniformity of its appearance; others are studded all over with lichens, and have a peculiar rustic prettiness. Insects constitute the principal food of this species, which obtains them from the flower-cups, and also catches them whilst on the wing."

The WOOD-NYMPHS (Lampornis) possess a straight or moderately-curved beak, which is broad at its base and incised at its extremity; the long toes are armed with short, high, and very decidedly-hooked claws; the wings are slender, and the tail broad, rounded or slightly incised at its extremity. The sexes vary considerably in their coloration.

THE MANGO HUMMING BIRD.

The MANGOHUMMINGBIRD(Lampornis mango) represents a group recognisable by their long, flat, broad, and curved beak, and by their short, rounded tail. In this species, which is about four inches and three-quarters long and seven inches and a half broad, with wing measuring two inches and three-quarters and tail one inch and a half, the entire mantle is of metallic green, glistening with a bright copper shade; the greyish black quills gleam with violet, and the centre tail-feathers, which are green shaded with red above, are blueish red beneath, and have a brilliant purplish black border; the exterior tail-feathers are entirely blueish red, with a similar edge. The throat, neck, breast, and upper part of the belly are of rich velvety black, shading into steel-blue at the sides; the lower portion of the belly is of copper-green. The beak of the adult is black, that of the young brown, and the foot black. The female is paler than her mate on the mantle, and white striped with black on the under side; her body is four inches and three-quarters long and seven and a half broad; the wing measures two inches and three-quarters and the tail one inch and a half.

The Mango, we learn from M. Boucier, though one of the most widely-spread members of its family, is only to be met with in hot localities; and whenever it occurs in the interior of a country, it is invariably in the warmest valleys. In disposition it is wild and quarrelsome, for although it lives in societies, several always being together, it is continually engaged in fighting with its companions and in driving away all other birds that approach the trees in which it is breeding. It inhabits Bolivia, Guiana, and Brazil. The adult does not assume its perfect plumage until the end of the second year, and in the interval passes through so many changes that the variety of appearance it presents has given rise to the various names under which these birds have been described; those obtained in Bolivia are a trifle the largest, and have the bands of green and blue at the sides of the neck a little less brilliant; in fact, the hotter the climate in which they dwell the brighter is their general appearance—the black of the throat is more intense, the green on the back and rump finer, and the violet of the tail more lustrous. The flight of this species is very rapid. Mr. Reeves informs us that in Brazil theLampornis mangois found in Rio Janeiro, Minos Gerves, St. Paul's, Santa Catherina, and Para. The Mango frequents gardens as well as the forests, and is very common in Rio in some seasons and equally scarce at others. The nest, according to Gould, is a round cup-shaped structure, placed near the extremity of a small horizontal branch, and is composed of any cottony or similar material that may be at hand, bound together with cobwebs, and ornamented with numeroussmall pieces of lichens. The eggs are white, and two in number, half an inch long by three-eighths of an inch in breadth.

"Wishing to keep one of these birds alive," says Mr. Gosse, "I stationed myself near a blossoming papau-tree, one evening, with a gauze ring-net in my hand, with which I darted at one, and though I missed my aim, the attempt so astonished it that it appeared to have lost its presence of mind, so to speak, flitting hurriedly hither and thither for several seconds before it flew away. The next morning I again took my station, and stood quite still; the net being held up close to an inviting branch of blossoms, the Humming Birds came near in their course round the tree, sipped the surrounding flowers, eyeing the net hanging in the air for a moment near the fatal cluster without touching it, and then, arrow-like, darting away. At length one, after surveying the net, passed again round the tree, and in approaching it the second time, and perceiving the strange object not to have moved, he took courage and began to suck. I quite trembled with hope; in one instant the net was struck, and before I could see anything the rustling of his wings within the gauze told me that the little beauty was a captive. I brought him in triumph to the house and caged him; but he was very restless, clinging to the sides and wires, and fluttering violently about. The next morning, having gone out on an excursion for a few hours, I found the poor bird on my return dying, having beaten himself to death. I never again took this species alive."

THE RUBY AND TOPAZ WOOD-NYMPH.

The RUBY ANDTOPAZWOOD-NYMPH(Chrysolampis moschita), a most magnificently-adorned Brazilian Humming Bird, is brown on the crown of the head, with a glowing throat of ruby-red, and upper breast irradiated by a tint that can only be compared to the golden glow of sunrise. The wings gleam with a violet light, and the light brown tail has each feather relieved by a black border. The beak and feet are black. The female and young are metallic green above and grey on the under side. This species is four inches long and five broad, the wing measures two inches and the tail one inch and a half.

The central part of South America affords a home to this most exquisitely-ornamented little bird. "If any one species of this extensive family be better known than any other," says Gould, "it is undoubtedly the Ruby and Topaz Humming Bird, for it is not only one of the earliest discovered, but its beauty is of such a character as to fix at once the attention of every observer. It is also one of the commonest of the entire group, and plays no inconsiderable part in commerce, as the capturing and preparing specimens, which are sent home by thousands, affords considerable employment to the Brazilian slaves and others in its native country; moreover, in Europe and elsewhere, this species always forms a conspicuous object in the groups of birds arranged under glass shades. But, alas! nothing is known as to its manner of life, for though it has been described for more than a hundred years, and its native country repeatedly visited by enterprising explorers, no one of them has placed on record any details as to its habits. It is said to perch occasionally, and spread its large, rounded tail to the fullest extent, like the Peacock. The cup-shaped nest is also known to be composed of cottony material, and decorated externally with leaves and small patches of lichens."

The FLOWER-NYMPHS (Florisugus) are for the most part powerfully formed and large Humming Birds, with a short tail, scarcely exceeding the closed wing in length. The strong beak is not incised, and the sexes differ more or less in their coloration. Some of them appear to be migratory; at least, they would seem to approach the tropic during the colder parts of the year, and to retreat before the returning heat, thus maintaining an equable temperature.

THE BRAZILIAN FAIRY.

The BRAZILIANFAIRY(Heliothrix auriculata), a species inhabiting Brazil, has an awl-shaped, delicate beak, small feet, furnished with short, curved claws, long, slender wings, and a long tail, formed of narrow feathers; the tail of the female is composed of broad feathers, and rounded at its extremity. In the adult male, the back and sides of the throat are bright copper-green, with a golden shimmer, and the greyish black quills glow with violet; the under side and three exterior tail-feathers are white, whilst those in the centre of the tail gleam with a steel-blue lustre; a line of velvety black commences beneath the eyes, and passes along the body, expanding as it goes, and gradually merging in a blueish border that surrounds it. The male is six inches and three-quarters long, with a tail of two inches and a half; the body of the female measures four inches and a half, and her tail one inch and seven-twelfths.

This beautiful bird is rare in Brazil, and in Guiana is replaced by a very similar species; it has also several representatives in the western parts of South America.

"Mr. Reeves," says Gould, "informs me that this elegant bird inhabits Rio de Janeiro and Minos Gerves, but is nowhere very common; that it is not met with in the immediate vicinity of Rio, but that it arrives in Novo Fribourgo in July and remains till September. During its stay it evinces a decided preference for the flowers of the orange-tree, which doubtless afford it an abundant supply of some peculiar and congenial kind of insect food. Its flight is both powerful and rapid. The nest is of somewhat lengthened form, attached to the side of a small twig, and composed of fine, dry, dark brown vegetable fibres, coated externally with small flakes of pale olive and buff-coloured bark. Another example is of a still more elongated shape, attached on one side to a slender vertical twig, and composed of some cottony material, held together externally by cobwebs and patches of grey lichen."

The FLOWER-SUCKERS (Florisuga) are distinguishable from the groups above described by the formation of their straight beak, which is flat only at its base, and towards its tip rises so considerably as to be higher than it is broad; the powerful feet are feathered on the tarsi, and armed with slightly-curved claws; the wings are long and slender, and the tail broad.

THE PIED JACOBIN.

The PIEDJACOBIN(Florisuga atra) is almost entirely of a rich velvety black, with the exception of the vent and legs; the wing-covers are of a dull green, shaded with violet; the centre tail-feathers black with a blueish gloss, whilst those at the exterior are white tipped with black. The female is of duller hue, and has the cheeks and often the entire head rust-red; the feathers on her back are edged with yellowish red; the beak is deep black. This species is four inches and a half long; thewingmeasures two inches and two-thirds, and the tail one inch and a half.

"The true, if not the restricted habitat of the Pied Jacobin," says Gould, "is the eastern portion of Brazil, over which it is distributed from Pernambuco on the north to Rio de Janeiro on the south, from which latter locality and Bahia great numbers are sent to Europe." We are without particulars as to its life and habits.

The FAIRIES (Trochilus) have a moderate-sized, straight beak, slender, sickle-shaped wings, and very gorgeous plumage, which differs considerably in the two sexes. They are generally seen hovering fairy-like around the blossoms of trees and shrubs, apparently giving the preference to tubular flowers, probably on account of the insects which lurk within them.

THE RUBY-THROATED FAIRY HUMMING BIRD.

The RUBY-THROATEDFAIRYHUMMINGBIRD(Trochilus colubris) is easily recognisable by its awl-shaped beak, of medium size, and compressed at its base, its short, slender foot, long, narrow wing, and slightly-forked tail. The mantle and centre tail-feathers are green, enlivened with gold; the sides of the neck, throat, and breast are of a brilliant ruby-red, spotted with black; the rest of the under side is greyish white, intermixed with green; the quills and tail-feathers are purplish brown; the eye dark brown, and the beak and foot black. In the male the entire under side is white, and the three exterior tail-feathers relieved by a white spot. The length of the body is three inches and a half, and the breadth four inches and a quarter. This species is found in all the eastern portions of the United States.

THE BRAZILIAN FAIRY (Heliothrix auriculata).

This beautiful little bird is pre-eminently migratory in its habits, a great portion of its life being spent in passing from north to south, andvice versâ. "The Ruby-throated Humming Bird," says Wilson, "makes its first appearance in Georgia, from the south, about the 23rd of March. As it passes on to the northward, as far as the interior of Canada, where it is seen in great numbers, the wonder is excited how so feebly-constructed and delicate a little creature can make its way over such extensive regions of lakes and forests among so many enemies, all its superiors in strength and size; but its very minuteness, the rapidity of its flight, which almost eludes the eye, and its admirable instinct or reason are its guides and protectors. About the 25th of April it usually arrives in Pennsylvania, and about the 11th of May begins to build its nest. This is generally fixed on the upper side of somehorizontal branch, not among the twigs, but where it is attached by the side to an old moss-grown trunk; others may be found fastened on a strong, rank stalk or weed in the gardens, but these cases are rare. The nest, which is usually placed on a branch some ten feet from the ground, is about one inch in diameter, and as much in depth, and the outer coat of one now lying before me is formed of a small species of blueish grey lichen, thickly glued on with the saliva of the bird, giving firmness and consistency to the whole, as well as keeping out moisture. Within this are thickly-matted layers of the fine wings of certain flying seeds, closely laid together, and lastly the downy substance from the great mullein and from the stalks of the common fern lining the whole. The two eggs are pure white, and of equal thickness at both ends. On a person approaching their nest, the little proprietors dart around with a humming sound, passing within a few inches of his head, and should the young be nearly hatched the female will resume her place on the nest, even while the spectator stands within a yard or two of the spot. The precise period of incubation I am unable to give, but the young are accustomed, within a short time of leaving the nest, to thrust their bills into the mouths of their parents and suck out what they have brought them. As I have found their nests as late as the 12th of July, I do not doubt but that they frequently and perhaps usually raise two broods in the season.

"This Humming Bird is extremely fond of tubular flowers, and I have often stopped to observe his manœuvres among the blossoms of the trumpet flower. When arrived before a thicket of these in full bloom, he poises or suspends himself on wing for the space of two or three seconds so steadily that his wings become invisible or only like a mist, and you can plainly distinguish the pupil of his eye looking round with great quickness and circumspection; the glossy golden green of his tail and the fire of his throat dazzling in the sun form altogether a most beautiful appearance. When he alights, which he frequently does, he always prefers the dry twigs of a tree or bush, where he dresses and arranges his plumage with great dexterity. His only note is a single chirp, not louder than that of a small cricket or grasshopper, generally uttered while passing from flower to flower, or when engaged in fight with his fellows; for when two males meet at the same bush or flower a battle instantly takes place, and the combatants ascend in the air, chirping, darting, and circling round each other till the eye is no longer able to follow them—the conqueror, however, generally returns to the place to reap the fruit of his victory. I have seen him attack and, for a few moments, tease the King Bird, and have also seen him in his turn assaulted by a humble bee, which he soon put to flight.

"This beautiful and delicate species is extremely susceptible of cold, and if long deprived of the animating influence of the sunbeams droops and soon dies. A very fine male which was brought to me I put into a wire cage, and placed it in a retired, shaded part of the room. After fluttering about for some time, the weather being uncommonly cool, it clung to the wires and seemed in a torpid state for the whole forenoon. No movement of breathing could be perceived on the closest inspection, though at other times this is remarkably observable, the eyes were shut, and when touched with the finger it gave no signs of life or motion. I carried it out into the open air, and placed it directly in the rays of the sun; in a few seconds respiration became very apparent, the bird breathed faster and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about with as much seeming vivacity as ever. After it had completely recovered it flew off to the top of a pine-tree, where it sat for some time dressing its disordered plumage, and then shot off like a meteor.

"The flight of this Humming Bird from flower to flower greatly resembles that of a bee, but is so much more rapid that the latter appears a mere loiterer in comparison with him. He poises himself on wing, while he thrusts his long, slender, tubular tongue into the flowers in search of food. He sometimes enters a room by the window, examines the bouquets of flowers, and has been known toreturn regularly every evening for several days together. From the blossoms of the towering tulip-tree, through a thousand intermediate flowers, to those of the humble larkspur, he ranges at will and almost incessantly. About the 20th of September these birds generally retire south, and about November pass the southern boundary of the United States into Florida."

"No sooner," says Audubon, "does the returning sun again introduce the vernal season, and cause millions of plants to expand their leaves and blossoms to his genial beams, than this Humming Bird is seen advancing on fairy wings, carefully visiting every flower-cup, and, like a curious florist, removing from each the injurious insects that would otherwise, ere long, cause their beauteous petals to droop and decay. Poised in the air, it is observed peeping cautiously and with sparkling eye into their innermost recesses, whilst the ethereal motion of the pinions, so rapid and so light, appears to fan and cool the flowers without injury to their fragile texture, and produces a delightful murmuring sound. Its long delicate beak enters the cup of the flower, and the protruded double tongue, delicate, sensitive, and imbued with a glutinous saliva, touches each insect in succession and draws it from its lurking-place to be instantly swallowed. All this is done in a moment, and the bird as it leaves the flower sips so small a portion of its liquid honey that the theft we may suppose is but a benefit to the flower, which is thus relieved from the attacks of its destroyers. The prairie, the fields, the orchards, and the gardens, nay, the deepest shades of the forest, are all visited in their turn, and everywhere the little bird meets with pleasure and with food. Its gorgeous throat in beauty and brilliancy baffles all description. Now it glows with a fiery hue, and again it changes to the deepest velvet-black. The upper parts of its body are of resplendent changing green, and it throws itself through the air with a swiftness and vivacity hardly conceivable; it moves from flower to flower like a gleam of light, upwards and downwards, to the right and to the left. During their migrations they pass through the air in long undulations, raising themselves for some distance at an angle of about 40°, and then falling in a curve; but the smallness of their size precludes the possibility of following them farther than fifty or sixty yards without great difficulty, even with a good glass. They do not alight on the ground, but settle on twigs and branches, where they move sideways in prettily-measured steps, frequently opening and closing their wing, pluming, shaking, and arranging the whole of their apparel with the utmost neatness and activity; they are particularly fond of spreading one wing at a time, and passing each of the quill-feathers through their bill in its full length, when, if the sun be shining, the wing thus plumed is rendered extremely transparent and light. They quit the twig without the slightest difficulty in an instant, and appear to be possessed of superior powers of vision, making directly towards a Marten or Blue Bird when fifty or sixty yards before them, before it seems aware of their approach. Their food consists principally of insects, generally of the coleopterous order, these, together with some equally diminutive flies, being commonly found in their stomachs. The first are procured within the flowers, but many of the latter on the wing. Where is the person," says Audubon, "who, on seeing this lovely little creature moving on humming winglets through the air, suspended as if by magic, flitting from one flower to another with motions as graceful as they are light and airy, pursuing its course and yielding new delight wherever it is seen—where is the person who, on observing this glittering fragment of a rainbow, would not pause, admire, and turn his mind with reverence towards the Almighty Creator, the wonders of whose hand we at every step discover, and of whose sublime conceptions we everywhere observe the manifestation in His admirable system of Creation?"

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