SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 24T 



• The red-bellied blue bird is covered with blue feathers, ex- 

 cepting on the belly, where they are red. It has a straight 

 bill, oval nostrils, and forked tongue. 



The humming birds in this part of the world are in great 

 number and variety. Their bill is sabulated, slender, and 

 crooked, of which the upper mandible incloses the lower. 

 The tongue consists of two threads, which are tubulous. They 

 are the smallest of the feathered tribe, some not weighing 

 more than fifty grains. Their nests, which are very small 

 and made of cotton, are built by the female, upon the small 

 twigs of fruit trees. The female lays two eggs at a time, about 

 the size of a pea, which are white and transparent. Their 

 food is the honey of flowers, which they suck by inserting 

 their tongues into the flower, and support themselves, whilst 

 sucking, by the motion of their wings, which make a hum- 

 ming noise. 



The green and crimson humming bird is the most frequent 

 here, but not the smallest. It is about the size of a large 

 cherry. The feathers on the neck, back, and upper edges of 

 the wings, are green. The breast is crimson, and the wings 

 and tail are green, purple, and crimson. It has a small crim- 

 son tuft on the crown of the head; the head itself is small, 

 the eyes round and black, the bill long, black, and slender. 



