46 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



its beauty. The back is black with a blue shade, like 

 blue-black velvet ; wing and tail-coverts rich green 

 with bronze reflections ; all the feathers, be it noticed, 

 changing with every light that falls upon them. There 

 are two species that measure an inch less in length, 

 that have the crimson or garnet throat replaced by 

 metallic green and violet, and with backs of green 

 instead of blue-black. The fourth, and smallest, is a 

 little fellow, found everywhere, from coast to mountain- 

 top, in the gardens of the town and over the barren 

 hills. From his eccentric motions, he is called the 

 "fou-fou? or crazy -crazy, for he darts hither, thither, 

 up, down, round and round, with seemingly aimless 

 purpose. He is sober in hue, and has only a little 

 pointed crest to give him beauty. But this little hel- 

 met of metallic green, now shining golden, now pur- 

 ple even, and steel-blue, flashes every ray of the sun 

 from its bright surface. His head is generally carried 

 with the beak pointing downward, so that the crest is 

 always seen to the best advantage. 



There were three little chasseurs who used to sup- 

 pi v me with every bug and bird within their reach. 

 It takes a boy, especially a boy of the woods, to find 

 out the haunts of the denizens of the forest ; and but 

 for these little collectors, my specimens would have 

 been fewer in number. Let us follow little Dan, the 

 eldest and sharpest of the humming-bird hunters, as 

 he goes out for birds. First he goes to a tree called 

 the mountain palm, which replaces the cocoa palm 

 in the mountains, the latter growing only along the 

 coast. Beneath the tree are some fallen leaves, fif- 

 teen feet in length ; these he seizes and strips, leav- 

 ing the mid-rib bare, a long, slender stem, tapering 



