::M NEAR THE TWIN VOLCANOS M"^^ 



the only matter for regret being that its exquisite 

 colouring, which showed so beautifully on the ground 

 glass, must be lost on the negative. 



The l)ill of the Motmot is large and deeply toothed 

 or serrated on each edge, and when angry the bird took 

 firm hold of one's finger and suffered itself to Ije 

 carried dangling, for several yards, before flying off. 

 The crown of the head and neck are bright cinnamon, 

 shadino- into a beautif id o-rass-o'reen on the back and 

 wings. The large, soft, brown eyes are surrounded 

 by a circle of feathers, very small, circular, and black 

 in colour. Back of the eye is a broad tuft of black, 

 banded above and beloAv with beautiful blue. The 

 breast is a most delicate emerald green, shot with pale 

 blue, while exactly in the centre is a conspicuous, black, 

 feathery pendant, or tuft, similar to the eye-tufts. 



But the most remarkable characteristic of the bird 

 is its long tail, which is greenish blue in colour, while 

 the two central tail-feathers, longer than the others, 

 are bare of barbs for about an inch of their length, 

 each feather endino- in a f nil- vaned racket. The strang-e 

 tiling about this ornament is the fact that it is produced 

 by the bird itself. When the young birds attain their 

 full plumage, the elongated pair of feathers in the tail 

 are perfect from base to tip. Guided apparently by 

 some instinct, each Motmot begins to pick and pick at 

 these feathers, tearing off a few barbs at a time with 

 its bill. This is kept up until the tail is in the condition 



«4 199 ■^ 



