70 FASSEJ^ES. 



every turn a variety of bright and evanescent hues. As they hover round 

 the honey-laden blossoms, they vibrate their tiny pinions so rapidly as to 

 cause a slight whirring sound, but not so loud as the humming noise pro- 

 duced by the Jrochi/ida (humming-birds). Occasionally they may be seen, 

 clinging by their feet and tail, busily engaged in rifling the blossoms of the 

 trees. I well remember a certain dark-leaved tree with scarlet flowers that 

 especially courted the attention of the sun-birds, and about its blossoms they 

 continually darted with eager and vivacious movements. With this tree they 

 seemed particularly delighted, clinging to the slender twigs and coquetting 

 with the flowers, thrusting in their slender beaks, and probing with their 

 brush-like tongues for insects and nectar, hanging suspended by their feet, 

 throwing back their little glossy heads, chasing each other on giddy wing, 

 and flirting and twittering, the gayest of the gay. Some were emerald green, 

 some vivid violet, and others yellow with a crimson wing." 



Their nest is usually suspended, and of a hemispherical form, 

 having generally an opening on one side, nearer the bottom than 

 the top, with a small roof over it ; it is composed of dry fibres 

 mixed with moss, and lined with down within. The exterior 

 portion is sometimes kept together by means of a thick spider's 

 web, which the bird uSes as a framework whereunto the various 

 materials composing the nest are attached. The eggs are gene- 

 rally two in number. 



The nest of the Mahratta Sun-Bird {C. Mahrattcnsis) is thus 

 described by Jerdon : 



" I have seen the nest of this pretty little bird close to a house at Jaulnah. 

 It was commenced on a thick spider's v^-eb, by attaching to it various frag- 

 ments of paper, cloth, straw, grass, and other substances, till it had secured 

 a firm hold of the twigs to which the web adhered, and the nest, suspended 

 on this, was then completed by adding other fragments of the same materials; 

 the hole is at one side near the top, and has a slight projecting roof or awning 

 over it." 



This family comprises the True Sun-Birds and the Guit-guits. 



Siib-Family I. 



THE SUN-BIRDS PROPER. PROMEROPIX/E. 



General Characteristics. — Bill more or less curved, with the sides compressed to 

 the tip, which is acute, and the lateral margin sometimes finely serrated ; the nos- 

 trils basal, and the opening closed by a membranous scale ; the wings moderate ; 

 the tail more or less long, with the middle feathers sometimes prolonged beyond 

 the others; the tarsi usually short; the toes moderate, the outer toe rather longer 

 than the inner, and united at its base; the claws moderate, curved, and acute. 



These showy birds are found throughout the continent of 

 Africa, as well as in India and the adjacent islands. They are 



