246 



THE TUFTED COQUETTE. 



time I watched its movements before shooting it. The little creatni-e would poise itself 

 about three; feet or so above the surface of tlie water, and then as quick as thought dart 

 downwards, so as to dip its miniature head in the placid pool ; then up again to its original 

 position, qiiite as quickly as it had descended. These movements of darting up and down 

 it would repeat in rapid succession, which produced not a moderate disturbance of the 

 surface of tlie water for such a diminutive creature. After a considerable number of 

 dippings, it alighted on a twig near at hand, and commenced pluming its feathers." 



The colours of this little bird are so dark, that it appears to be uniforndy lirown, until 

 it is examined more closely, when it is seen to be of a copj)ery hue, on which a purple 

 reflection is visible in extreme lights, the copper hue taking a warmer tint towards the tail. 

 The crown of the head is dazzlingly white, and the tips of all the tail-feathers, and the 

 bases of all except the two central, are also white. 



On the same drawing may be seen another remarkable little bird, possessed of a most 

 beautiful and graceful crest. This is the Spangled Coquette, an excellent example of the 

 very remarkable genus to which it belongs. All the Coquettes possess a well-defined crest 

 upon the head, and a series of projecting feathers from the neck, some being especially 

 notable for the one ornament, and others for the other. 



Tlie Spangled Coquette is a 

 native of several parts of Co- 

 lumbia, and was first brought to 

 England in IS-t?. The singular 

 crest is capable of being raised or 

 depressed at the will of the bird, 

 and produces a great effect in 

 changing the whole expression of 

 the creature. When raised to its 

 fullest extent it spreads itself like 

 the tail of the peacock, and much 

 resemljles the crest of the king 

 tody, a bird which will be de- 

 scribed in a future page. When 

 depressed, it lies flat upon the 

 bird, and is so large that it pro- 

 jects on either side, barely allowing 

 the little black eyes to gleam from 

 under its shade. 



The crown of the head and 

 the crest are light ruddy chest- 

 nut, each feather having a ball- 

 like spot of dark bronze-green at 

 the tip. Tlie throat and face 

 are shining metallic green, below 

 which is a small tuft of pointed white feathers that have a very curious effect as they 

 protrude from beneath the gorget. The upper parts are bronze-green as far as the lower 

 part of the back, where a band crosses from side to side, and the rest of the plumage 

 is dark ruddy chestnut as far as the taU. The tail is also cliestnut-brown, with a slight 

 wash of metallic green. The female has no crest nor green gorget. 



TUFTED COQUETTE.— lopftoTOfa orniitus. 



The Tufted Coquette is one of the rare species of this beautiful genus. 



It seems to be entirely a Continental bird, not being found in any of the West Indian 

 Islands, and its principal residence seems to be in Nortliern Brazil and along the course 

 of the Amazon as far as Peru. It may be readily known from the other species of 

 Coquettes by the colours of its head, crest, and neck-plumes. The crest and top of the 

 head are a rich ruddy chestnut, and the upper surface of the body is bronze-green, 

 excepting the wings, which are purple-black, and a broad band of white which crosses the 



