THE FIERY TOPAZ., 



571 



The oddly- shaped nest which occupies the upper part of the 

 drawing is made by the Fiebt Topaz {Topaza pyra), one of the 

 most magnificent of these lovely birds. Indeed, Prince Lucien 

 BoDaparte calls it the most beautiful of the Trochilidse, and it is 

 hardly possible to imagine a bird that can surpass it in brilliancy. 

 The body is fiery scarlet, the head velvet-black, the throat glitter- 

 ing emerald, with a patch of crimson in the centre ; the lower part 

 of the back is also green, and the long, slender, crossed feathers 

 of the tail are purple with a green gloss. So magnificent a bird 

 can have but few rivals, and there is only one species which even 



approaches it in beauty. This is the Crimson Topaz {Topaza pel- 

 la), a bird which is nearly allied to it, and which much resembles 

 it in general coloring. It may, however, be distinguished by the 

 color of the body, which is crimson instead of scarlet. 



Curiously enough, although it is bedecked with resplendent 

 hues, which seem to need the presence of daylight, 'and to be 

 made expressly for the purpose of reflecting the brightest beams 

 of the sun, yet the lovely bird is one of the night wanderers, be- 

 ing seldom seen as long as the sun is above the horizon, and pre- 



