G. E. Verrill — JFhuna of the Island of Dominica. 333 



31. Thalurania bicolor (Gmel.) •' Fou Fou Bleu," Pat. and Fr. (Blue Crazy 

 Crazy). 

 Thalurania wayleri (Less.) ; Lawr. and Sel. Lists. 



Rather common. Found mainly at a considerable elevation and 

 in the heavy woods. We never took it at an elevation of less than 

 1200 feet and apparenth^ it rarely, if ever, descends to the lowlands. 

 Taken in the vicinity of Laudat, at Providence (Mr. Hennessey 

 Dupigny's plantation near Laudat), and near Bass-en-ville. This 

 beautiful bird seems to prefer the seclusion and shade of the deep 

 woods to the sunshine and warmth of the plantations and clearings. 

 In some little opening among the thick mass of trees, vines, lianas, 

 etc., that comj)ose the forests of this island or along some mountain 

 trail that runs through the dee]) woods, it is generally seen, either 

 hovering about some flower, sitting pi'uning itself upon some twig 

 or stem, or darting past so swiftly that one sees but a gleam of 

 burnished blue and green. It is rather solitary in its habits, more 

 than one rarely being seen at a time. Only one female was obtained, 

 at Bass-en-ville, May 19, and no others were met with, though nine 

 males were obtained and several others seen. The males too were 

 observed about the nests and sitting on the eggs, but no females. 



Sexes very different in plumage. Iris dark brown or black; legs 

 and feet dark brown; upper mandible black; in the male the lower 

 mandible is white, black at the tip ; in the female it is dark brown, 

 slightly lighter at the base and black at^ the tip. $ 4-2^-1 -^-^ ; 4^- 



94— li-fi- ift— 9 S _111_.c;5.. 41 9 5 _15 «. 4.i_93._lii O i._9 S _1 l e; 1 



-^8 ^8 "> ^B^ ^16 '^TG' ^-i? *T^^T1J 's "> *4 -8 ^ -L' + ^ '^TT '^2~'^^' 



In all the male specimens the exposed culmen measures 0'65 and 

 in the female it is 0*68. 



" This bird builds the handsomest nests of all the hummers on the island. It is 

 usually built close to the ground, never more than a few feet from it, and generally 

 placed in a large brake-like fern. A number of sets taken, all at a great elevation, 

 2000-2500 feet."— (a. h. v.) 



One nest, taken April 12, contained "two badly incubated eggs." 

 It is fastened to the frond of a fern, and composed mainly of a fine, 

 short, greyish brown, vegetable fibre, much resembling fur, and a few 

 brown fern scales. On the outside are fastened a few small pieces 

 of gray lichen and the whole is fastened together with spider-web or 

 something so closely resembling it as to be indistinguishable without 

 careful microscopic examination. It measures If across the top, 1^ 

 in height, and the cavity is f deep. The eggs are dead white, 

 nearly elliptical, and measure •46X'30 and •46x*3]. Plate xxvi, 

 fig. 5. 



