54 
POPULAR HISTOUY OF BIRDS. 
the abundance of insects which flew about such places. The 
glancing of its bright colours as it darted past with rapid, 
arrow-like flight, soon attracted notice, contrasted with its 
disappearance in the shady woods to which this Sylvia retired. 
It perches on a bare branch or woody climber, and from this 
outlook makes short dashes at any passing insect or small 
hzard. The natives call it Quatawur, and say it lays three 
white eggs in a hole dug by itself in one of the large ant- 
liills, formed of red clay, which abound in the neighbourhood. 
Mr. M. believes the bird is found also in New Guinea. 
One of the most brilliant-plumaged genera of South Ame- 
rica is the Jacamar [Galbula), of which there are several 
species, all distinguished by their long sharp-pointed beak ; 
the crest of the upper mandible is angular ; the feet are 
formed as in the scansorial birds. 
Their plumage is of a very changeable green, of all tints 
ranging between blue and golden yellow, and differs in 
the different species. Mr. Waterton"^ describes one species 
as fond of sitting in trees, the branches of which overhang 
the water. Its food exclusively consists of insects, and rapid 
though most of these little creatures be on the wing, the 
jacamar is sure of its prey ; for, sitting on the branch with 
* Wanderings, p. 133. 
