tM':iiEBrU.E--TIII'J CUEEl'KUS. 429 



and sidos ol'npck nm\ im ci-issiini ; <m ll.-iiiks sdiiu'wIimI snilccl Mint I'iillicr (hirkcr. A Ipi-n; .1 

 supi'l-ciliill-y while .-iripr (lurl t-ic).ssiiig the I'urelieiid) Irmii l>ill td iiiipe, Iml hllle h,i;hlei' 

 lliiiii the lhl(i;il ; tlie hue of leathers iiiiiiiech:ilely liehiiid the iioslrils, iiiid a si ia!l palc'h at 

 hase 111' liiwer iiiaiiililile iiiitler llie tips, wilh ihe usual stripo IVdiii hill thniii.L;li lh<' eve, 

 heilij;- hlackisli. ^\'hite s|)ot at bast' of (piills very distiiiet exieilially ; Ihe postoridr oiil- 

 liue (111 eaeh oiitei' weh of the primaries iiol (piadiafe, hnl niniiili^' out olili([iiely liehiiid 

 and on ihe ouleiiiiost (|iiill reaehiiii;- the shall. Kdu'i's of (piills naiTDwly iiiaruiiieil wilh 

 ,i;rayish-white ; on the seeoiidaries eonliniied round the lips. Xo disliuel l)an(ls on the 

 coverls. Diiler tail-tealhers liroadly lipped wilh while ; ihi- even iiivolvin;^- the iunurinost, 

 hut reduced to a narrow edn-e. Total lenijlh, 4.10 : wiiij;-, •_'.:!!» ; lidl, l..^(». 



liill: Leiiglh li-oiii loreliead, .(ili ; from noslril, .11 ; alonj;' ua|ie, ."ji) ; depth at base. .17. 

 l.e.iis: Tarsus, .75; niiddlu toe and claw, ."i.S; elaw alone, .17; hind toe and elaw, .1."); 

 claw alone, .20. 



ll.vii. 1' ..mas and Keys of .southeast (.^jast of Florichi. 



A sjioeiiiuMi Iroiii tlio Florida Keys (10,:>(i7) is rather darker than those 

 Iroiii the rmhama.s, the white lews e.xtuiided, and not liuite reaching tlie shi'f's 

 in till', outer (jtiills. 



li.MdTs. Tiiis .species, heh>ngiiio- properly to tlie Uahaniaii ofouji oi' tiio 

 West Iiiihaii I.shinds, was t'otind at Indian i\ey, Khi., January .■!!, ISo.S, hv 

 ]\Ir. AViirdeiiiann, wliere it appeared ti» lie lait at all rare. Xothinn i.s i<ni)wn 

 of its iiahits, hut they an- douhtless nearly the same as tho.se of the iillied 

 S]ieeies. Tile ('. Jlanvhi is known in -laniaiea as the ISanaiia (j)iiit, Hdiiey- 

 Sueker, and lUaek and Yellow Creepier. Aeeordiiio' to tlie description of 

 them liiveii liy Mr. (lo.s.se, these hirds, scarcely larnvr than the llinnniin<.r- 

 J5ird.s, are often seen in coni])aiiy with them, jirohino- the flowers for similar 

 jmrposes, init in a very dill'ereut manner. In.stead of hovorino; like tlie lliim- 

 miii,!4-l)ird in front of tlie iilossoni, for wliieli its short wines would he in- 

 competent, tlie.se iiirds alioht on the tree and jiroceeil in a very Imsiness-like 

 manner. Jlo|i]iing from twig to twig in an active manner, they carefully 

 examine each lilo.ssoin. In doing this they throw their hodies into a variety 

 of ]iositi(iiis, often clinoing hy the feet with the ha(d< downwards, tlu; hetter 

 to reach the interior of a lilo.s.soin with their curved lieaks and peculiar tongue. 

 The olijects (d' these researches are the small insects wjiicli are alwavs found 

 in the interior of Uowers. This liird is unsuspecting and familiar and very 

 freely resorts to the hlossoming slirnhs of the gardens and yards. ;\Ir. (ios.se 

 mentions, in evidence of this familiarity, that a large inoringa-tree under his 

 window, as lie was writing, and which all throiiuh (he year was ]>riifiiselv .set 

 with fragrant lilossonis, and was a hivorite resort of these hirds, was lieing 

 carefully scrutini/ed hy two active little Creeper.s. Although within a few 

 feet of his window, they ]iursuetl their e.\aniiiiations, iierfectly uudistiirhed 

 iiy his h)oking on. As they move ahoiil they utter a soft sihilant note. 



The nests of this little bird are usually imilt in those low trees and hushes 

 to which are fastened tlie nests of the hrown wasps, and in close contiguity 

 to iheni. Mr. (lo.sst^ regards this singular predilection as a remarkahle ex- 

 ercise of instinct, if not of leiison, as the evideirt object of it is the protection 



