6 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



butterfly. The distinguished ornithologist, John 

 Gould, in his Monograph of the Trochilidce, says : 

 "Every one who, for the first time, finds himself 

 in front of the compartment of my collection in 

 which this species is placed, gives utterance to some 

 exclamation expressive of the admiration excited 

 by its striking beauty and the glowworm-like splen- 

 dour of its upper tail-coverts. This brilliancy is 

 more apparent at certain hours of the day; for in- 

 stance, it is more beautiful in the evening after sun- 

 set than at midday, the brilliancy being relieved by 

 the dark hue of the tail-feathers. It is unquestion- 

 ably one of the finest species of the genus, and 

 one of the most resplendent of the Trochilidse; 

 would that it were possible for me even faintly to 

 depict it r 



The Syrian nuthatch builds a nest of red and 

 brown clay, and the outside is covered over with the 

 iridescent gossamer wings of numerous beetles and 

 other insects. The dwarf swift of Africa decorates 

 her front yard a part of the thick palm leaf on 

 which her nest is built by gluing her tiny babies 

 onto the leaf. Here the baby jewels sparkle like 

 living diamonds as the breezes swing them to and 

 fro in the air. Their mother's jewels indeed! 



The baya bird, another of the weaver family, 

 builds a veritable fairy palace, which is illuminated 



