1111 



TROCHIL1D.E. 



TROrillLin.K. 



1116 



the 



1,. ,i> 



u possible, an object of fintrato importance where tho body of 

 parent, generally speaking, U so email, and the quantity of animal 1 

 given oat must be in proportion. 



Prince Maximilian de Wied. on examining the flower of palm-tree 

 in Brazil, found affixed to it the neat of the Blue-Headed Humming- 

 Bird (TVoeAihu piiealut. Ornitmya crutata, Let*. ? ), which, he says, 

 much rambl that of the Tnckiltu bieohr of author). He found it 

 M well covered with mots as those of the Goldfinch and many other 

 mall European birds. The Prince arid*, that in all humming-birds' 

 ne*U two white egg* of an elongated form are found, which in some 

 species are extraordinarily small. This rule as to the duality of the eggs 

 U not without exception, if tho information given to Sir William .1 anlino 

 be correct, that the Doctor Humming-Bird, as it is provincially termed 

 (TrofHltu kirnttu), builds its nest suspended like that of the Yellow- 

 Tail (Caitictu cnttatut) with the entrance somewhat downwards, and 

 lays only one egg. This nest U described u being of a lengthened 

 form, composed of dried grass and slender rook, moss, Ac., as not of 

 the general compact structure, and as suspended from the leaf of some 

 reed-like plant, to which it is cemented chiefly by the threads of 

 spiders or caterpillars. 



Neat of the Brazilian Amelbrrt Humming-Bird (Ornumya amethittuidti, Lew.). 

 a, the egg. 



Cotton, thistledown, delicate fibre*, a fungus-like substance, and 

 other soft materials woven into a compact and fleecy substance, enter 

 into the composition of the nests of Humming-Birds. The outside is 

 in most instances covered with lichens, generally supposed to be stuck 

 on with a sort of glue secreted by the bird ; but we have reason to 

 believe that this is not so. The nest generally appears to be made 

 by warping xpiders' webs over fragments of plant), their down, lichens, 

 &c. ; and the lichens, which are never turned the wrong way, are 

 secured by the webs only. 



Captain Lyon gives an account of n Hutnming-Bird which built its 

 neat in an orange-tree. The young were hatched at Bret in a shallow 

 neat, but u the young increased in size, the mother built her nest 

 higher, so that from having at first the form of figure 1, it became 

 ultimately like figure 2, 



I 



The parents are most valiant in defence of their nests. Oviedo 

 relates bow they will fly even at the face of a man who climbs a tree 

 where their nest* are, and strike him in the eyes, coming, going, and 

 returning so swiftly, that no man would well believe it who had not 

 seen it Mr. Bullock says that the female of the Mexican Star lays 

 two eggs, perfectly white, and large for the rise of the bird ; and the 



Indians informed him that tln-y were hatched in three weeks by tho 

 male and female sitting alternately. Ho states that when attending 

 their young, they attack any bird indiscriminately that approaches the 

 nest. This pugnacious audacity probably fostered the Mexican belief 

 that these diminutive bodies contained the souls of slain warriors. 



Medical virtues have been attributed to these bright being*. 

 Powdered Hummiug-Uird was considered a specific in cases of epi- 

 lepsy ; and the alleged efficacy of tho birds in curing rheumatism 

 secured a place for them in the old European Pharmacopoeia. 



We proceed to give a very few examples of the multitudinous forma 

 presented by this gorgeous race. 



Sickle- Winged Humuiing-liird, Trocltiltu faicaltu Sw. Green; 

 throat and breast shining-blue ; body and vent blue-green ; tail even, 

 rufous cinnamon ; exterior quills falcated, the shafts dilated and 

 compressed. It is n native of the Spanish Main. 



v 



Sickle- Winged lIumming.Bird (Tiochitut /alcnltu, Sw.), a little reduced. 



Recurvod-Bill H uinming-Bird, Trochilu* rcciirrirotlrii, Sw. Golden- 

 green ; throat chining emerald-green ; middle of the breast and body 

 black ; lateral tail-feathers beneath topoziue ; bill recurved. (Sw.) It 

 is a native of Peru. 



Recut Toil-Bill Humming. lilrrt (Trockilia recarrirottrii, Sw.). 



Gould's Humming-Bird, Ontitmya Goutdil, Lesson. This bird, 

 Ornumya ornata, and the Hausse Col Blauc (O. ttruntaria, Less.), form 

 a small natural trilie. The Huppe Col (0. ornata), which is figured 

 bv M. Lesson (pi. xli., male and female, Oiseaux Mouchm, very young, 

 pi. xxlv., Trochilid<r-c), is found in Guyana, Brazil, and Trinidad ; 

 the Hausse Col, figured by M. Lesson (pi. xlii., male; pi. xliii., female 

 and young, Oiseaux Moucnes), is found in Brazil. 



