BLUE-BACKED MANAKIN. 
were not till lately known ; and the observations 
which have been made, are still insufficient to 
admit an exact detail. W e shall only relate 
the remarks communicated to us by Sonini of 
Manoncour, who saw many of these birds 
in their native climates. They inhabit the 
immense forests in the warm parts of America ; 
and never emerge from their recesses, to visit 
the cleared grounds, or the vicinity of the 
plantations. They fly with considerable swift- 
ness ; but always at a small height, and to 
short distances. They never perch on the 
summits of trees, but on the middle branches. 
*They feed on small wild fruits, and also eat 
insects. Thev generally occur in small bodies, 
of eight or ten of the same species ; and, 
sometimes, intermingled with other flocks of 
the same genus, or even of a different genus, 
such as the Cayenne Warblers, &c. It is 
commonly in the morning that they are found 
thus assembled ; and then seem to be joyous, 
and warble their delicate little notes : the 
freshness of the air seems to inspire the song ; 
for they are silent during the burning heat of 
the day, and disperse and retire to the shade 
of 
