EXPEDITION TO SURINAM, 219 

 fHuch damage amongll the rice and Indian corn, flying chap. 



Y V" V' 



in prodigious flocks upon the plantations. 



At the Hope the trocbuius, or humming-birds, were 

 fo thick among the tamarind-trees, that they refembled 

 a fwarm of bees ; a Lieutenant Swildens daily fetching 

 down feveral of them, by blowing fmall peas or Indian 

 corn through a hollow reed. 



Of all the tropical birds, this little creature is particu- 

 larly worth attention, not only on account of its beauty, 

 but for its diminutive fize, being fmaller than the firft 

 joint of a man's finger ; and when deprived of its feathers 

 not larger than a blue-bottle fly. However, there are fe- 

 veral fpecies, and fome twice as large. Thefe birds vary 

 much in their colour : in the lhade they appear generally 

 of a deep fhining green; Which, by the refle<Stion of the 

 fun, produces a fplendid purple brown and azure. The 

 head is crefted with a fmall tuft of feathers, green, black, 

 and gold ; the tail ^nd wings are a gloify black ; the bill is 

 not much thicker than a pin, it is long, black, and crooked 

 at the end ; the tongue is forked, and refembles a red fillc 

 thread ; with this they lip the ne<5lar or honey from the 

 flowers, during which time they are ftationary, exadly 

 like bees, and this juice feems to be the only nourifliment 

 of thefe little creatures. They often make their neft on 

 the leaf of a wild pine-apple, or dwarf aloe, which is 

 conftrudled moftly of cotton, and not larger than the hufk 

 of a walnut ; their eggs are about the fize of peas, and 

 pnly two in number. Madam Merian fays, that the hum- 



F f 3 tning- 



