204 Messrs. O. Salviu and F. DuCaue Godman on a 



bananas^ it establishes itself on the topmost twig of some dead 

 branch or scantily clothed tree, and passes the day filling the 

 air with its loud plaintive note in answer to its mate. Every 

 now and then, as a sort of exercise, it would shoot up into 

 the air like a rocket, sound a very pretty twit-twit, turn a 

 few somersaults, and descend gracefully with tail-feathers 

 spread out like a fan. These aerial movements are exces- 

 sively beautiful, and always resorted to, even if the bird is 

 disturbed. In this latter case it does not return to its accus- 

 tomed perch, but seeks another tree close by, where it sings 

 on merrily till all danger is past ; it always, however, returns 

 to its old haunt. I watched one for a fortnight, and it never 

 forsook its adopted perch. Another I fired at four times 

 successively without effect ; in spite of this it always returned 

 to the same tree. They are very wary and difficult to shoot ; 

 and I have spent days dodging them backwards and forwards 

 without getting near enough for a shot. June and July arc 

 the flowering months in the elevated regions. This may attract 

 them ; for I have met with them in all parts of the Nevada, 

 especially in a valley at an elevation of 11,000 feet, where 

 they were abundant, but so shy that there was no approaching 

 them wdthin a hundred yards. On crossing to the northern 

 flank I found them as low down as San Miguel, 6000 feet. 

 At San Antonio, 3450 feet, not ten miles distant, they wTre 

 unknown. 



"On previous visits to San Sebastian in February and March, 

 this species was not there ; but the Indians told me that after 

 the first rains a very beautiful " Chupa-flor " puts in an ap- 

 pearance, without, however, being very common. Passing 

 a couple of days in San Jose in August, I found they had 

 disappeared. 



"^Atanques, a small Indian village of 1000 inhabitants, the 

 capital of the Territory of Nevada, lies in the mountains be- 

 tween the rivers Guatapuri and Badillo, about four miles (as 

 the crow flies) N.E. of A'^alle Dupar. 



" The first rains begin in April ; May is very wet, June to 

 September showery. 



" The second rains l)egiii in September; October is the worst 

 month ; and November is sometimes wet.'" 



