220 GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS 



shot silk, their hue depends upon the angle at which 

 the sun's rays fall upon them. In the sunlight their 

 plumage glistens like a new silk hat, and sometimes 

 the sheen looks lilac and at others green. 



The habits of all three species appear to be exactly 

 alike. 



The cocks of all have fine voices. At his best 

 the purple sunbird sings as sweetly as a canary. 

 Indeed, on one occasion when I was staying at Ban- 

 galore I heard a bird singing in the verandah which 

 I thought was a caged canary ; it was only when I 

 went to look at the canary that I discovered it to be 

 a wild sunbird pouring forth its music from some 

 trellis-work ! 



Sunbirds are always literally bubbling over with 

 energy. They are bundles of vivacity — ever on the 

 move. Although they eat tiny insects, they subsist 

 chiefly on the nectar of flowers, which appears to be 

 a most stimulating diet. 



Sunbirds have long, slender, curved bills and 

 tubular tongues, hence they are admirably equipped 

 to secure the honey hidden away in the calyces of 

 flowers. As the little birds insert their heads into 

 the blossoms they get well dusted with pollen, so 

 that, like bees and some other insects, they probably 

 play an important part in the cross-fertilisation of 

 flowers ; but they do not hesitate to probe the sides 

 of large flowers with their sharp bills, and thus secure 

 the honey without bearing pollen to the stigma. 

 It is pretty to watch the sunbirds feeding. They 

 are as acrobatic as titmice and strike the most extra- 



