HURGILA—HYLACOLA 451 
he has never seen so occupied, and the “ Hermits” especially seem 
to live almost entirely upon the insects which are found on the 
lower surface of leaves, over which they will closely pass their bill, 
balancing themselves the while vertically in the air. The same 
excellent observer also remarks that even among the common flower- 
frequenting species he has found the alimentary canal entirely filled 
with insects, and very rarely a trace of honey. It is this fact 
doubtless that has hindered almost all attempts at keeping them in 
confinement for any length of time—nearly every one making the 
experiment having fed his captives only with syrup, which is wholly 
insufficient as sustenance, and seeing therefore the wretched creatures 
gradually sink into inanition and die of hunger. 
The beautiful nests of Humming-birds, than which the work of 
fairies could not be conceived more delicate, are to be seen in most 
museums, and will be found on examination to be very solidly and 
tenaciously built, though the materials are generally of the slightest 
—cotton-wool or some vegetable down and spiders’ webs. They 
vary greatly in form and ornamentation—for it would seem that 
the portions of lichen which frequently bestud them are affixed to 
their exterior with that object, though probably concealment was 
the original intention. They are mostly cup-shaped, and the singular 
fact is on record (Zool. Journal, v. p. 1) that in one instance as the 
young grew in size the walls were heightened by the parents, until 
at last the nest was more than twice as big as when the eggs were 
laid and hatched. Some species, however, suspend their nests from 
the stem or tendril of a climbing plant, and more than one case 
has been known in which it has been attached to a hanging rope. 
These pensile nests are said to have been found loaded on one side 
with a small stone or bits of earth to ensure their safe balance, 
though how the compensatory process is applied no one can say. 
Other species, and especially those belonging to the “Hermit” 
group, weave a frail structure round the side of a drooping palm- 
leaf. The eggs are never more than two in number, quite white, 
and having both ends nearly equal. The solicitude for her offspring 
displayed by the mother is not exceeded by that of any other birds, but 
it seems doubtful whether the male takes any interest in the brood. 
HURGILA, Hind. Hargila, see ADJUTANT. 
HURRICANE-BIRD, see FRIGATE-BIRD. 
HYLACOLA, Gould’s. name (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1842, p. 135) for a 
genus of Australian birds, and subsequently used by him and others 
as English. It has been placed near Aérichia (SCRUB-BIRD) ; but 
its true position is unknown. There are two species, one, //. cauta, 
confined to South Australia and Victoria, the other, H. erythropygia, 
of wider range. Gould saw in them some resemblance to the 
