17G THE SPAJSIGLED COQUETTE. 



brown. The female has no red npon the throat or forehead. There are several species 

 of Sun-angel, among which may be mentioned Clarissa's Sun-angel {Heliangelus clarissce), 

 a bird which is remarkable for the deep ruby-crimson with which its gorget is dyed. 

 Thousands of these birds are killed annually by means of the deadly blowpipe, and their 

 skins forwarded to Europe, where they are largely employed for various decorative pur- 

 poses, such as being mounted in ornamental cases of stuffed birds for dramng-rooms, 

 feather fans and fire-screens, or for head-dresses of more than oi'dinary brilliancy. Two 

 tliousand of these birds have been sold at Paris at a single time, merely for the manufacture 

 of head-di'esses. 



Tjie two little birds which we now describe are remarkable for the manner in which their 

 heads are decorated. One of them is seen to be a dark little creature, with the exception of a 

 snowy white crown to its head, and a bold streak of white upon its tail. This is the Snow- 

 cap Humming-bird, one of the most curious and the most rare of all the Trochilidse. Its 

 habits and the localities in whicdi it lives are well described in the words of its discoverer, as 

 quoted by Gould : — 



"It was in tlie autumn of 1852, while stationed in the district of Belen, Veraqnas, New 

 Orenada, that I obtained several specimens of tliis dinuuutive variety of the Humming-bird 

 family. 



" The first one I saw was i^erched on a twig, pluming its feathers. I was doubtful for a 

 few moments whether so small an object could be a bird, but on close examination I convinced 

 myself of the fact and secured it. Another I encountered while bathing, and for a time I 

 watched its movements before shooting it. The little creature would poise itself about three 

 feet or so above the sui'face of the water, and then as quick as thought dart downwards, so as 

 to dip its miniature head in the placid pool ; then up again to its oi'iginal position, quite as 

 quickly as it had descended. These movements of darting up and down it would repeat in 

 rapid succession, which produced not a moderate disturbance of tlie surface of the water for 

 such a diminutive creature. After a considerable number of dippings, it alighted on a twig 

 near at hand, and commenced pluming its feathers." 



The colors of this little bird are so dark, that it appears to be uniformly brown, until it is 

 examined more closely, when it is seen to be of a coppery hue, on which a purple reflection 

 is visible in extreme lights, the copper hue taking a warmer tint towards the tail. The crown 

 of the head is dazzlingly white, and the tips of all the tail-feathers, and the bases of all except 

 the two central, are also wliite. 



On the same drawing may be seen another remarkable little bird, possessed of a most 

 beautiful and graceful crest. This is the Spangled Coquette, an excellent example of the 

 very remarkable genus to which it belongs. All the Coquettes possess a well-defined crest 

 uj)on the head, and a series of i^rojecting feathers from the neck, some being especially notable 

 for the one ornament, and others for the other. 



The Spangled Coquette is a native of several parts of Columbia. The singular crest is 

 capable of being raised or depressed at the will of the bird, and produces a great effect in 

 changing the whole expression of the creature. When raised to its fullest extent it spreads 

 itself like the taU of the peacock, and much resembles the crest of the king tody, a bird which 

 will be described in a future page. AVhen depressed, it lies flat upon the bird, and is so large 

 that it i)rojects on either side, barely allowing the little black eyes to gleam from under its 

 shade. 



The crown of the head and the crest are light ruddy chestnut, each feather having a ball- 

 like spot of dark bronze-green at the tip. The throat and face are shining metallic green, below 

 which is a small tuft of jwinted white feathers that have a very curious effect as they protrude 

 from beneath the gorget. The upper parts are bronze-green as far as the lower part of the 

 back, where a band crosses from side to side, and the rest of the plumage is dark ruddy chest- 

 nut as far as the tail. The tail is also chestnut-brown, with a slight wash of metallic green. 

 The female has no crest nor green gorget. 



