48 



PIGMY. 



PLATE VIL— FIG. h 



The scientific name of this beautiful little bird, one of the 

 smallest of the family, is Phcethornis Pygmceus, the first being 

 the title applied to the Hermit genus, of which about twenty- 

 five distinct species are known; they are mostly found in Brazil, 

 Bolivia, Columbia, and Eucador. One distinctive mark of this 

 genus is the peculiar formation of the tail, which, when spread 

 out, resembles an elegant hand- screen, with deeply-indented 

 edges, which are usually bordered with white or buff, or some 

 other light colour, rendered very conspicuous by the dark tint on 

 which it is set; the two centre feathers in nearly all the species 

 are much larger than the rest, and these may represent the 

 handle of the screen. With the Pigmy this peculiarity of forma- 

 tion is not so marked as in some other species. 



This tiny bird inhabits chiefly the southern provinces of Brazil; 

 it is tolerably abundant in that of Rio de Janeiro. It makes a 

 beautiful nest of the woolly fibres of flowering plants, and deco- 

 rates it on the outside with seeds and other vegetable substances 

 of gay colours. This structure is often suspended to the end of 

 a flag, or some other broad-leaved plant, and there the mother- 

 bird sits and swings perfectly secure from four-footed enemies, 

 while her sprightly mate flits about in the sunshine, and now 

 and then perches close by to cheer her with a gentle twitter. 



The Hermits generally are not remarkable for brilliancy of 

 colour in their plumage; they have not those bright metallic 

 tints which give such resplendency to many Humming Birds, 

 yet is there much of richness and diversity in their dresses, sober 

 and subdued as they are, and ought to be in conformity with 

 their name. They have long arched bills, and in some species 

 the feathers of the throat are loose, and project considerably, so 

 as to give the head a very curious appearance. The Hermits, as 

 we have observed, are iond of attaching their nests to broad 

 pendulous leaves, frequently over water, which they almost 

 touch; and in Gould's monograph we have some charming pic- 

 tures of them in these situations. 



