■ In all probability, tbe serrations with whicb the apical portion of the cutting edges of both mandibles of 

 this bird are famished, are expressly provided to enable it to capture with facility some peculiar kind of 

 insect food, perhaps spiders and small coleoptera. 



The nest sent to me by Mr. Reeves is precisely similar in form, structure and situation to those con- 

 structed by the members of the genus Phaethornis, being of a lengthened, pointed form, composed of 

 fine vegetable fibres and mosses, intermingled with which, especially on the lower part, are portions of 

 dead leaves and pieces of lichen ; and attached to the extremities of the leaves of apparently a species 

 of Palm. 



Forehead, lores and ear-coverts dark brown ; all the upper surface, wing- and tail-coverts greenish bronze, 

 each feather narrowly edged with brown, giving it a scale-like appearance ; wings purple-brown ; two 

 central tail-feathers bronze deepening into dark brown at the tip ; the next on each side the same, but 

 slightly tipped with buff; the three lateral feathers purplish brown, washed with bronze at the base, and 

 largely tipped with buff, the two colours meeting in an oblique direction across the feather, and the buff 

 being most extensive on the outer feather, less so on the next, and still less so on the third ; over the eye 

 a streak of buflf; sides of the throat deep reddish buff; feathers of the chin and down the centre of the 

 throat brownish black edged with pale buff; feathers of the under surface blackish brown, edged on the 

 breast and upper part of the flanks with greyish white, and on the lower part of the flanks and vent with 

 buff", giving the whole a streaked appearance ; under tail-coverts buflf, with a streak of brown down the 

 centre ; bill black, except the basal two-thirds of the lower mandible, which are yellow ; feet yellow. 



The Plate represents two males, a female, and a nest and eggs, all of the natural size. 



