268 THE RUFUS FLAME-BEARER. 



her body is also of a golden green ; the lower of a reddish- 

 butf 



THE RUFUS FLAME-BEARER. 



The beautiful little rufus flame-bearers belong to the genus 

 PhcTethornis. They are known by their long, graduated tails, 

 all the feathers of which are pinnated — the two central ones 

 extending far beyond the others. " They may be seen early 

 in the year, darting, buzzing, and squeaking in the usual 

 manner of their tribe, engaged in collecting sweets in all the 

 energy of life, appearing like breathing gems — magic car- 

 buncles of glowing fire — stretching out their glorious ruffs, 

 as if to emulate the sun itself in splendour. The female sits 

 towards the close of May, when the males are uncommonly 

 quarrelsome and vigilant, darting out as the stranger approaches 

 the nest, looking like angry coals of brilliant fire, returning 

 several times to the attack with the utmost velocity, at the 

 same time uttering a curious, reverberating, sharp bleat, 

 somewha^t similar to the quivering twang of a dead twig, and 

 curiously like the real bleat of some small quadruped. At 

 other times the males may be seen daiting high up in the 

 air, and whirling aboul each other in great anger and with 

 much velocity. 



" The nests are funnel-shaped, measuring about two and a 

 quarter inches in depth, and one and three-quarters in breadth at 

 the upper paii;, composed of mosses, lichens, and feathers woven 

 together with vegetable fibres, and lined with soft cotton." 



This description is given by Mr. Nuttal the naturalist, and 

 quoted by Audubon. 



RRixcEss Helena's coquette. 

 This beautiful little gem — a native of Vera Paz, in Guate- 



