THE SICKLE-BILL MARS' SUN-ANGEL. 383 



sound. It is more sedate in its habits than its brethren, 

 nor does it seem to partake of their joyous spirit. The 

 head and neck of the male are black, with a line running^ 

 along the centre. The long beard is white, and round the 

 neck and back of the head is a broad band of white. The 

 upper surface of the body and the two central feathers of the 

 tail are bronzed green, the others being of a warm reddish 

 bronze. Its length is a little over five inches. 



The female is chiefly brown, and possesses no beard or 

 helmet-like plume ; it is also considerably smaller. 



THE SICKLE-BILL. 



In the humming-birds, we see the same perfect adaptation 

 of their construction to their peculiar wants which is found 

 throughout the whole animal creation. This is beautifully 

 exhibited in the sickle-bill, which is occasionally found in 

 Bogota. Its bill is very short and sharply curved, in order 

 that it may enter the short, curved flowers of that region. It 

 is generally of a duller hue than most of its tribe. Its head 

 and small crest are blackish-brown, each feather having a spot 

 of bufi' on its tip. The upper part of the body is of a dark, 

 glossy green, slightly touched with buff. The under part is a 

 brownish-black, with a few buff streaks upon the throat and 

 breast. It is about four and a half inches long. 



mars' sun-angel. 



Mr. Gould describes the Mars' sun-anijel as amono^ the most 

 beautiful of the genus Heliangelus inhabiting the northern 

 end of the Cordilleras. 



"■ It has all the charms of novelty to recommend it, and it 

 stands alone among its congeners ; no other member of the 



