with a Note on Trochilus aquila Boarder. 139 



" The first one I saw, was perched on a twig pluming its fea- 

 thers I was doubtful for a few moments whether so small an 

 object could be a bird, but upon close examination I convinced 

 myself of the fact and secured it. Another I encountered while 

 bathing, and for a time I watched its movement, before shoot- 

 in. it -the little creature would poise itself about three feet or 

 so above the surface of the water, and then as quick as thought 

 dart downwards, so as to dip its miniature head m the placid 

 pool, then up again to its original position, quite as qmckly 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 the water, for such a diminutive creature. Ate 

 a considerable number of dippings, it alighted on a twig near at 

 hand, and commenced pluming its feathers. _ 



"There is a peculiarity in this variety, which characterize 

 somewhat, so far as my limited observation extends It is hat 

 its flight is not so persistent as the other varieties of the Ham- 

 ming-Bird, although as swift. 



"In waking its movements while feeding, and under other 

 circumstances, I have found that it would at intervals , ahght 

 for a brief period, and much more often, indeed, than I had ever 

 noticed in the other varieties. In fact, in the majority of instan- 

 ces that I have encountered this variety, it has either been at 

 rest or has, after a short flight, alighted. . 



"Vpon examination of its wings, there has appeared to me to 

 be a slight spread of them in proportion even for so small a bird, 

 which would seem to corroborate this observation. ^ ^ ^ 



The plant represented in the plate is the two colored Cantua 

 (CanJucolor) from the northern part of South America. 



Trochilus aquila Bourder.-^ Humming ™VT*** 

 the Lyceum by our corresponding member, Dr. J. King Merntt, 



