164 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



largest known. There are two species — ^the crim- 

 son, of Guinea and the lower Amazon, and the 

 fiery, of the northern tributaries of the Amazon. 

 The fire-tailed or comet humming-birds are of two 

 species, and their native homes are in Peru, Bolivia, 

 and the Argentine Republic. "The tails of the 

 males blaze with the radiance of flashes of flame, and 

 their ruby backs, luminous green throats, and un- 

 der surface present a tout ensemble unparalleled in 

 the range of ornithology." 



It is claimed that many of these jewel-like crea- 

 tures, especially the smallest — ^which is of a rich 

 violet colour and the size of a bee — ^bathe in nectar 

 in the cups of flowers. Imagine this tiny being, 

 with a throat and neck the colour of a brilliant ame- 

 thyst, changing into various shades of purple and 

 brown, bathing in a large red-cupped flower of 

 nectar! Or a superb specimen with a sky-blue 

 crown upon its head, a brilliant scarlet throat, 

 golden-green back, head, and tail, plunging into a 

 large flower-like bowl of crystal water for a bath! 

 Surely no words can convey an idea of such delicate 

 beauty. 



"Of all animated beings," says Buffon, "they are 

 the most fairy-like in form, the most brilliant in 

 colouring. Our precious stones and metals, polished 

 by the hand of art, are as nothing in comparison 



