THE SWOED-BILL HUMMING-BIED. 231 



their perches, they were quite uneasy, hovered about the spot, and did all in their power 

 to reassume their positions. 



The nesting of this beautiful species is very remarkable, as the nests are wonderfully 

 constructed, and are placed in veiy curious localities. One of these nests was found upon 

 the sea-shore, fastened to a slender twig of wild vine, and actually overhanging the waves. 

 It seems that the bird is in the habit of removing its eggs or young when it has been 

 disturbed, although the mode by which this feat is accomplished has not yet been disco- 

 vered. The nest is beautifully made of silky cotton threads, intermixed with the web of 

 certain spiders, and is often studded profusely with lichens. Mr. Gosse was fortunate 

 enough to see the bird in the act of making her nest, and describes her movements in the 

 following words : — 



" Suddenly I heard the whirr of a Humming-bird, and, looking up, saw a female 

 Polytmus hovering opposite the nest with a mass of silk-cotton in her beak. Deterred by 

 the sight of me, she presently retired to a twig a few paces distant, on which she sat. 

 I immediately sank down among the rocks as gently as possible, and remained perfectly 

 still. In a few seconds she came again, and, after hovering a moment, disappeai'ed 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. . . . 



I again sat down on the stones in front, where I could see the nest, not concealing 

 myself, but remaining motionless, waiting for the 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 clearing 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 veiy 

 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 beak. Then I saw her fly to the nest, and having seated 

 herself in it, proceed to place the new materials, pressing and arranging and interweaving 

 the whole with her beak, while she fashioned the cup-like form of the interior by the 

 pressure of her white breast, moving round and round as she sat. My presence appeared 

 to be no hindi-ance to her proceedings, although only a few feet distant ; at length she left 

 the place, and I left also. On the 8th of April I visited the cave again, and found the 

 nest perfected and containing two eggs, which were not hatched on the 1st of May." 



In the same work are contained many interesting descriptions of this exquisite bird 

 and its habits, and to its pages the reader is referred for further information. 



The Sword-Bill Humming-bied derives its name from the singular shape and size 

 of its beak, which is very nearly as long as the rest of the body. 



This curious species is rather large, as it measures about eight inches in length. It 

 inhabits Santa F6 de Bogota, the Carracas and Quito, and is generally found at considerable 

 elevations, having been often seen at a height of twelve thousand feet above the level of 

 the sea. The inordinately long bill is given to this bird in order to enable it to obtain its 

 food from the very long pendent corollas of the Brugmansife, and, while probing the 

 flowers with its beak, it suspends itself in the air with a tremulous movement of the wings. 

 Its movements are singularly elegant, and while engaged in feeding it performs the most 

 graceful manceuvres as it probes the pendent blossoms, searching to their inmost depths. 

 The nest of this species is hung to the end of a twig, to which it is woven with marvellous 

 skill, and its whole construction is very beautiful. 



The adult male bird is coloured as follows. The head and the upper part of the 

 body are green, glossed with gold in some parts and with bronze in others, the tints 

 changing according to the light. The wings are dark black-brown with a purple gloss, 

 and the tail is dark black, bronzed on the upper surface. Behind each eye is a small but 



