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CHAPTER XIII. 



PENSILE BIRDS {continued). 



American Pensile Birds— Humming Birds, and the general slructure of then 

 nests— The Little Hermit, its colour, habits, and nest — The Grey- 

 throated Hermit and its hardihood— The Pigmy Hermit and its seed- 

 nest— The White-sided Hill Star— Curious method of suspending its 

 nest— The Sawbill and its singular nest— Habits of the Sawbill— The 

 Brazilian Wood Nymph — Use made of its plumage and nest — The 

 Baltimore Oriole — Reason for its name — Its beautiful nest, and curious 

 choice of materials — The Orchard Oriole, or Bob-o'-Link — Various 

 forms of nest — Why called Orchard Oriole — The Crested Cassique, 

 its size, form, and colours— Its remarkable nest — The Great Crested Fly- 

 catcher, and its use of serpent-sloughs— The Red-eyed Fly-catcher, 

 or Whip-Tom-Kelly— Low elevation of its nest— The White-eyed Fly- 

 catcher, its nest, and fondness for the prickly vine— The Asiatic Pensiles 

 — The Baya Sparrow — Its colour and social habits — Singular form of 

 the nest. 



Having now taken a cursory glance at the pensile nests con- 

 structed by the feathered inhabitants of Africa and Australia, 

 we again cross the sea and come to America. There are many 

 pensile builders among American birds, and the chief among 

 them are the exquisite little creatures called the Humming 

 Birds, which are peculiar to America and her islands. 



Among the multitudinous species of this wonderful group of 

 birds are very many examples of pensile nests, that mode of 

 structure being, indeed, the rule, and any other the exception. 

 As is the case with the nests of the Australian birds, some are 

 suspended from twigs, others from rocks, and others again from 

 leaves, the last-mentioned plan being the most common. 



Our first example of the pensile Humming Birds is the beau 

 tiful species called the Little Hermit [Pha'ethornis ereniita). 



The nest which is here figured was attached to the very 

 extremity of the leaf, so that the long tail hung down freely. 



