1 62 Three Young Crusoes 



joyment as they darted about the flower gardens 

 and displayed their brilHant colors while hovering 

 over equally brilliant blossoms. The long-tailed 

 hummingbird;, or doctor-bird, was the largest, and 

 he shone resplendent in his emerald vest, velvet 

 crest, and long tail-plumes. 



The tiny vervain hummingbird would sit in the 

 top of an orange tree and warble its sweet note for 

 ten minutes at a time, then flutter about the orange 

 blossoms for nectar and insects, looking a good deal 

 like a hummingbird moth. 



The smallest of all, the smallest bird in the world, 

 was Princess Helena's hummingbird, a perfect little 

 fairy only two and a quarter inches long, with me- 

 tallic-blue back, white breast, and rose-red head. 

 Its nest measures three quarters of an inch across 

 the cavity and the eggs are one quarter of an inch in 

 length! 



The mango hummingbird was remarkable be- 

 cause the female was more brilliantly colored than 

 the male. In all other hummingbirds, and in most 

 birds, the reverse is true, since the female is in dan- 

 ger while on the nest and sober colors protect her 

 from hawks and other enemies. 



A pair of palm swifts built a tiny nest of silk- 

 cotton, tillandsia down, and feathers, glued to the 



