258 PASSERES. FRINGILLAD^. 



pain or inconvenience. But if so, how interesting 

 an instance of intelligence communicated ; for intel- 

 ligence, and combined action, there certainly was. 

 At length the operator, having done what he could, 

 flew off: but the poor unsuccessful patient, after a 

 few seconds, followed him, and sought him again in 

 the bush, while I rode on my way. 



A male which I shot, and but slightly wounded, 

 displayed much energy, and some ingenuity, in its 

 persevering efforts to escape, in which, after being 

 twice captured, it at length succeeded. When I 

 attempted to seize it, it bit at me fiercely, and 

 pinched my finger so forcibly as I could not have 

 anticipated. The beak is very powerful, doubtless 

 for the sake of opening or crushing hard seed- 

 vessels. 



I have dissected a female at the end of April, with 

 eggs in the ovary as large as pigeon-shot, the plu- 

 mage of which differed from that of the male, only 

 in the black being 7iot quite so bright. The name 

 violacea, is a strange misnomer, as there is not the 

 slightest tinge of violet. 



Robinson has mentioned the prevalence of these 

 birds on the Liguanea mountains, in a passage so 

 interesting, that I quote it entire. " In ascending 

 from Mr. Elletson's estate called Merryman's Hill, 

 about four miles from Hope River plantation, after 

 you get about a mile and a half beyond the said 

 Merryman's Hill, the air suddenly turns cool, and 

 the plants and trees are entirely different from what 

 you observed before, excepting two or three, which 

 continue all the way up. There also you hear the 



