March 25
(No 2)
Trinidad, B.W.I.
Caparo
but fewer in number and given much more slowly
and distinctly. Both proved to be males. I shot a
third male later in the day in low woods near a
creek. The first two were on a ridge.
  There were only three Hummers (Phaethornis guyi)
singing in the place where we have seen them before
but a few hundred yards beyond in a precisely
similar locality we found at least six or eight
making a great racket. I shot two of them and
found that both were males. One was yepping the
other smacking.
  Half-a-mile further on we came to a piece of high
woods remarkably free from undergrowth but still with
scattering young rozo palms and shrubs of various
kinds. In these on every side arose an incessant
shrill chirping which we at first thought must come
from a great number of Creepers (Coereba) [delete]that were[/delete]
excited about something, possibly a snake or owl. But
presently Mr. Chapman recollected similar experiences of
last year and assured us that the birds were Hummers
(Pygmornis longuemareus) singing. We had to look long
and closely before we could sight one of the tiny, brown
creatures although several were evidently within a few
yards of us. They perched only a foot or two above
the ground, sat rather erect, and jerked their tails
precisely like Phaethornis but we did not see them
spread and erect the tail. There must have been more
than a dozen [delete]of them[/delete] assembled within the
space of half an acre or less. Each bird had its favorite
[margin]A concert
of Hummers[/margin]