104 PASSERES. TROCHILID^. 



distant, on which she sat. I immediately sunk down 

 among the rocks as quietly as possible, and remained 

 perfectly still. In a few seconds she came again, and 

 after hovering a moment disappeared behind one 

 of the projections, whence in a few seconds she 

 emerged again and flew off. I then examined the 

 place, and found to my delight, a new nest, in 

 all respects like the old one, but unfinished, affixed 

 to another twig not a yard from it. I again sat 

 down among the stones in front, where I could 

 see the nest, not concealing myself, but remain- 

 ing motionless, waiting for the petite bird's re- 

 appearance. I had not to wait long : a loud whirr, 

 and there she was, suspended in the air before 

 her nest : she soon espied me, and came within 

 a foot of my eyes, hovering just in front of my 

 face. I remained still, however, when I heard 

 the whirring of another just above me, perhaps 

 the mate, but I durst not look towards him lest 

 the turning of my head should frighten the female. 

 In a minute or two the other was gone, and she 

 alighted again on the twig, where she sat some little 

 time preening her feathers, and apparently clear- 

 ing her mouth from the cotton-fibres, for she now 

 and then swiftly projected the tongue an inch 

 and a half from the beak, continuing the same 

 curve as that of the beak. When she arose, it 

 was to perform a very interesting action ; for she 

 flew to the face of the rock, which was thickly 

 clothed with soft dry moss, and hovering on the 

 wing, as if before a flower, began to pluck the 

 moss, until she had a large bunch of it in her 



