THE HUMMING BIRDS 



1789 



members of which differ infinitely among themselves as regards form and color. 

 The sole representative of its genus, the long-tailed Jamaican humming bird 

 (sEthurus polytmus}, may be easily recognized by the abnormal conformation of 

 the tail, in which the outermost feather but one on each side is produced to an 

 enormous length. An inhabitant of the island from which it takes its name, its 

 habits have been admirably described by Gosse in the following words: " The long- 

 tail is a permanent resident in Jamaica, and is not uncommonly seen at all seasons 

 and in all situations. It loves to frequent the margins of woods and roadsides, 

 where it sucks the blossoms of the trees, occasionally descending, however, to the 

 low shrubs. There is one locality where it is abundant, the summit of that range 

 of mountains just behind Bluefields, and known as the Bluefields Ridge. Behind 

 the peaks which are visible from the sea, at an elevation of about half a mile, there 

 runs through the dense woods a narrow path, just passable for a horse, overrun 

 with beautiful ferns of many graceful forms, and always damp and cool. The 

 whirring made by the vibrating wings of the male polytmus is a shriller sound than 

 that produced by the female, and indicates 

 its proximity before the eye has detected 

 it. The male almost constantly utters a 

 monotonous, quick chirk, both while resting 

 on a twig and while sucking from flower 

 to flower. They do not invariably probe 

 flowers upon the wing; one may frequently 

 observe them thus engaged, when alighted 

 and sitting with closed wings, and often 

 they partially sustain themselves by clinging 

 with the feet to a leaf while sucking, the 

 wings being expanded and vibrating. The 

 humming birds in Jamaica do not confine- 

 themselves to any particular season for nidi- 

 fication. In almost every month of the year 

 I have either found, or have had brought to 

 me, the nests of polytmus in occupation. 

 Still, as far as my experience goes, they are 

 most numerous in June, while Mr. Hill con- 

 siders January as the most normal period. 

 It is not improbable that two broods are 

 reared in a season. In the latter part of 

 February, a friend showed me a nest of this 

 species in a singular situation, but which I 

 afterward found to be quite in accordance 

 with its usual habits. It was at Bognie, 

 situated on the Bluefields mountain, but at 

 some distance from the scene above de- 

 scribed. On the twelfth of November, we took, in Bluefields morass, the nest of a 

 polytmus, containing two eggs, one of which had the chick considerably advanced, 



JAMAICA HUMMING BIRD. 



