266 The Birds of British Guiana. 



beaks and forked totignes, they resemble humming-birds; their 

 [)lumage liowever, thoui^ii very beautiful, lacks the metallic 

 lustre of TrochiVuicc. They number sonie twelve genera and 

 upwards of a hundred species, all peculiar to Neo-Tropical and 

 Sub-Tropical regions. In company with Humming-Birds they 

 probe flowers for honey, or like fly-catchers, dart after flies on 

 the wing; or like tree-creepers, search the bark of trees for 

 insects. Velvet-like or purple, relieved by brilliant patches of 

 sky-blue, white, or yellow, are the prevailing tints; while the 

 hens are often dull olive or green. From their note they have 

 acquired the colloquial name of Quit-quits. They build a rough, 

 domed nest of grass, moss, roots, etc., and deposit therein 

 from two to four white, or greenish eggs, with blotches or 

 specks of rusty-red. They are easily tamed, and from their fear- 

 less nature and pretty plumage, soon become great pets; but 

 on account of dif^cult feeding they do not ordinarily live long 

 in cages. 



Sugar-Birds or Quit-quits. — (Colonial). Cocrchidcc. 



f Blue-capped Sugar-Bird Coercba (Ccrtliiola) giiia>ieiisis. 



Yellow-breasted Sugar-Bird ,, ,, cliloropyga. 



Hook-billed Sugar-Bird Diglossa major. 



Blue Sugar-Bird Dacnis cayana. 

 f Angelic Sugar-Bird ,, angelica. 



Purple-blue Sugar Bird (?) ,, analis. 



Black-headed Sugar-Bird Clilorophancs spiza. 



fPurple and Black Sugar-Bird Cyaucrpcs (Cocreba) cacntlcus 



(To be coiitiinted ). 

 <> 



Weavers. 



By W. Shore Baily. 



The Yellow or Hyphantornine Weavers are a very numer- 

 ous family and great nest builders, many of their nests being 

 quite works of art and very durable. The trouble with these 

 birds is the difficulty of identification. With the males it is pos- 

 sible to pick out the different varieties, although this is by no 

 means easy, but with the hens it is practically impossible to do 

 so. Their eggs vary to an extraordinary extent. 



