Humming- Birds. 215 



contained in them as the story of the Loddigesia 

 mirabilis. This is perhaps the most wonderful 

 humming-bird known, and no one who had not 

 previously seen it figured could possibly form an 

 idea of what it is like from a mere description. An 

 outline sketch of it would probably be taken by 

 most people as a fantastic design representing a 



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Loddigesia Mirabilis. 



bird-form in combination with leaves, in size and 

 shape resembling poplar leaves, but on leaf-stalks 

 of an impossible length, curving and crossing each 

 other so as to form geometrical figures unlike 

 anything in nature. Yet this bird (a single speci- 

 men) was obtained in Peru half a century ago, and 

 for upwards of twenty years after its discovery 



