364 TROPICAL BIRD LIFE IN BOTH HEMISPHERES 



" To whom the Ijre was giren, 

 With all the trophies of triumphant song." 



As the smallest shot would blow the tiny humming-birds to 

 pieces, and inevitably destroy the beauty of their plumage, they 

 are taken by aspersing them with water from a syphon, or by 

 means of a butterfly net. 



There are many species of humming-birds, various in size and 

 habits, with straight or curved bills, with a naked or a crested 

 head, with a short or a Jong tail ; some constantly concealing 

 themselves in the solitudes of the forest; while others hover 

 round the habitations of man, and frequently during their 

 disputes pursue each other into the apartments whose windows 

 are left open, taking a turn round the room, as flies do with us, 

 and then suddenly regaining the open air. 



The Karabamite, the largest of the humming-birds of Guiana, 

 is all red and changing gold green, except the head, which is 

 black. He has two long feathers in the tail which cross each 

 other, and these have gained him the name of Ara humming- 

 bird from the Indians. He alone of all the tribe never shows 

 his beauty to the sun, and were it not for his shining colours 

 one might almost be inclined to class him with the goat- 

 suckers on account of his habits. He keeps close by the side of 

 woody fresh-water rivers, and dark and lonely creeks. He 

 leaves his retreat before sunrise to feed on the insects over the 

 water, but retires to it again as soon as the sun's rays cause a 

 glare of light — is sedentary all day long, and comes out again 

 for a short time after sunset. He builds his nest on a twig 

 over the water in the unfrequented creeks ; it looks like tanned 

 cow-leather, and has no particle of lining. The rim of the 

 nest is doubled inwards, for instinct has taught the bird to give 

 it this shape, in order that the eggs may be prevented from 

 rolling out. 



The smallest of the humming-birds {Trochilus minimus), 

 golden green, brown and bluish black, weighs but from twenty 

 to forty-five grains, and is surpassed in weight and dimensions 

 by more than one species of bee. Well may we exclaim with 

 Pliny, that Nature is most admirable in her most diminutive 

 works — " Maxima miranda in minimis." 



