West-Indian Hununing-birds. ')lo 



shading into rcddisii brown on lower back and upper tail- 

 coverts (these feathers being greyish black, but broadly 

 tipped with reddish brown) ; primaries and tail bluish black. 

 We purchased seven or eight skins here^ among which were 

 an Emerald and two G. hirsuta, the rest being C. moschituH. 

 One lieu bird of this last species used to come every few 

 minutes during the day close to our veranda to feed among 

 the blossoms of a curious plant, with thick fleshy leaves and 

 a cluster of scarlet shoe-shaped flowers growing from the 

 apex of the plant. This little bird always hovered with its 

 legs hanging down. On examining the flowers 1 found them 

 to be always swarming with small ants. We had several 

 nests brought to us while here, all containing eggs, mostly 

 Avith tlie full complement (two). But it was some time 

 before we could make the stupid boys under.stand that we 

 wanted to see the nests " in situ," and we saw only two thus, 

 one of which I found myself. One of these was a nest of 

 the C. moschitus, and was in a rather peculiar situation. A 

 patch of young guavas of several acres in extent on a slight 

 hillside had recently been burnt, so that there were only 

 scattered brown sticks left, with a few shrivelled leaves 

 hanging on to them, these sticks being only about 3 feet high. 

 On the top of one of these sticks, exactly the height of my 

 riding-whip from the ground, the Humming-bird had chosen 

 to build its nest, which, being made of white material, was 

 very conspicuous for some distance away among such bleak 

 and brown surroundings. The nest was supported by a twig 

 that grew away at an angle from the main stick, and contained 

 two eggs. The bird at flrst was very shy, and for some time 

 would not go near the nest, but sat about in the neighbour- 

 hood preening her feathers, sometimes spreading her tail 

 wide open and stooping her head and neck forward with all 

 her feathers bristled out, as if enjoying the hot rays of the 

 sun. So we stretched ourselves flat on the ground, about 15 

 yards off", and waited patiently. At last she went to the nest, 

 and by the aid of my field-glasses 1 made sketches of her 

 position on the nest. She sat with her wings high above her 

 tail, her neck and head high up, and beak almost horizontal. 



