1894
March 1
(No 5)
Martinique
  Hummingbirds were even more numerous in
this garden than at Dominica yesterday. I
had abundant opportunities to watch them for
they were perfectly fearless and it was only
necessary to stand still for a moment near one
of the innumerable flowering shrubs to see from
two or three to half-a-dozen within arms length.
Bellona exilis was by far the most abundant
of the three species and I thought it the
most beautiful, also, until I got my first
really good view of Eulampis jugularis
which poised in front of a flower within a
yard or two of my face. Its wings beat so slowly
that there was no blur but each stroke could
be easily followed. Whichever way the creature turned
it fairly blazed in the sunlight like a great gem
and as I watched it I quickly came to the
conclusion that it was the most beautiful bird
that I have ever seen.

  Bellona, however, is in certain ways the more
interesting of the two, partly because of its more
animated movements and partly because of its
superb crest which it displays to a wonderful
advantage raising and depressing it a dozen times
a minute.