The Crimson Topaz. BIRDS. The Jacobin. 
311 
splendid blue colour ; but in the Chimborazo species 
tlie throat is brilliant green, while in that from the 
Picliincha the azure tint of the head is continued down 
to the crescentic black band, which in both forms 
crosses below the throat. 
THE SICKLE - BILLED HUMMING -BIRD {Grypus 
Aqidla) is one of the most singular species of the family, 
from the remarkable structure of its bill, which is curved 
to such an extent as to resemble the agricultural imple- 
ment referred to in the name of the species. The bill 
has the upper mandible black and the lower one yellow; 
the upper surface of the body is shining dark green, the 
lower surface blackish, streaked with buff on the throat 
and breast, and with white on the abdomen ; the wings 
are purplish-brown, and the tail feathers green, tipped 
with white. It is one of the larger species, measuring 
about six inches in length. The specimens known are 
from Bogota and Central America. The bird is very 
rare in collections, and nothing is known of its habits. 
THE SAW BILL (^Grypus nctvius). This species, 
which is found in Southern Brazil, especially on the 
mountains of Corcovado near Bio de Janeiro, is dis- 
tinguished by having the margins of the mandibles 
serrated. It measures about six inches in length, 
including the rather long and ample tail, and is of a 
greenish bronze colour above, with the tail feathers 
tipped with buff ; the feathers of the lower surface are 
blackish, broadly edged with white on the breast and 
with buff on the belly ; the sides of the throat are red- 
dish buff. The bill is black, with the base of the lower 
mandible yellow ; and the feet are yellow. The nest 
of this species is of an elongated, pointed form, com- 
posed principally of moss and fine vegetable fibres ; it 
is suspended from the extremity of a leaf. 
THE SWALLOW-TAILED HUMMING-BIRD {Eupe- 
iomena macrura). This speeies, which is described 
by Mr. Gould as “ the most swallow-like member of 
the entire family of Trochilidoe,” is found in the low 
districts bordering the rivers of Brazil and Cayenne. 
The plumage of the body is green ; the whole of the 
head and neck are rich shining blue, and the tail and 
tail-coverts are steel blue ; on each side of the body 
there is a white tuft, and the vent is white. The tail 
is much elongated and forked in the male, less so in 
the female, which is also smaller and rather less bril- 
liant than her partner. 
THE PURPLE-BREASTED CARIB {Eulampis jugu- 
laris) — Plate 8, fig. 2 — {Trochiliis granatiniis). This 
beautiful species is an inhabitant of the West Indies, 
and is said also to occur in Guiana. It frequents the 
high grounds. The sexes are exactly alike ; the gene- 
ral eolour of the plumage being black, with the chin, 
throat, and breast reddish-purple ; the wings and wing- 
coverts shining green ; the tail-coverts greatly de- 
veloped and of a brilliant green ; and the feathers of the 
broad and powerful tail blackish-green. This bird 
measures about five inches in length. 
THE CRIMSON TOPAZ {Topam pella), which must be 
regarded as one of the most gorgeous species of this 
splendid family, is an inhabitant of the low districts of 
Cayenne, Trinidad, and Surinam, and also of the coun- 
tries bordering the lower Amazon. The male measures 
about six inches in length, exclusive of a pair of elon- 
gated tail feathers that are wanting in the female, 
whicli is also a little smaller than her mate. The ivhole 
of the back and wing-coverts in the male are deep rich 
red, becoming orange-red on the rump, and gradually 
giving place to bronzed green on the upper tail-coverts. 
The two centre tail feathers are also bronzed green ; 
the next feather on each side is brownish-black, pro- 
longed for a distance of about two inches and a half 
beyond the i-est of the tail, and crossing each other, whilst 
the three outer feathers on each side are reddish-buff. 
The head is deep violet black, and from it a broad band 
passes down the sides of the neck and across the throat, 
inclosing a large space of the most brilliant golden- 
green eolour, exhibiting a rich golden or topaz hue in 
the centre. The bi-east is occupied by a broad band of 
deep crimson, and the rest of the lower surface is of a 
brighter shining tint of the same eolour. The legs are 
white, the feet j'ellow, and the bill black. The general 
colour of the female is bronzed green. 
Mr. Waterton gives the following account of the 
habits of this magnificent bird : — “ One species alone,” 
he says, “ never shows his beauty to the sun ; and were 
it not for his lovely shining colours, you might almost 
be tempted to class him with the goatsuckers, on account 
of his habits. He is the largest of all the Humming- 
birds, and is all red and changing gold-green, except 
the head, which is black. He has two long feathers in 
the tail, which cross each other, and these have gained 
him the name of Karabimiti, or Ara Humming-bird, 
from the Indians. You never find him on the sea- 
coast, or where the river is salt, or in the heart of the 
forest, unless fresh water is there. He keeps close by 
the side of woody fresh-water rivers, and dark and 
lonely creeks. He leaves his retreat before sunrise, to 
feed on the insects near the water ; he returns to it as 
soon as the sun’s rays cause a glare of light, is sedentary 
all day long, and comes out again for a short time after 
sunset. He builds his nest on a twig over the water 
in the unfrequented creeks ; it looks like tanned cow- 
leather.” This nest, according to Mr. Gould, is of a 
deep cup-like form, with very thin walls, composed 
apparently of a sort of fungus resembling German 
tinder, and held together by cobwebs. 
THE JACOBIN [Flovisuga mellivora) is a very widely 
distributed species, occurring in all the low-lying dis- 
tricts from Guiana to Peru. It is liable to great diver- 
sity of colouring, but the ordinary plumage of the adult 
male is of a bronzed green colour above and white 
beneath, with the whole of the head and throat brilliant 
blue, and a white lunate mark on tlie back, behind the 
blue of the head. The ypper tail-coverts are very 
large and long, reaching nearly to the extremity of the 
tail, and of the same bronzed green colour as the back; 
the tail feathers themselves are white, narrowly mar- 
gined at the tip with black. The whole length of the 
bhd is four inches and a half. 
THE SHORT-TAILED WOODSTAR {Calothorax macrw- 
ms). This curious little bird is one of the most diminu- 
tive even in this family of dwarfs, measuring rather 
less than two inches and a half in length. The upper 
surface is bronzed green, the lower surface buff, and 
the wings purplish-brown. The male has a large tri- 
angular gorget of a brilliant amethyst red, which is 
