142 
STRANGE DWELLINGS. 
Nymph (Thalurania glaucofiis), a species which is perhaps more 
persecuted than any other, its singular beauty causing its ,| 
plumage to be sought after, 
The feathers on the crown of the head and front of the throat j 
are of the most lovely azure, and are largely used by the 
inmates of several convents at Rio Janeiro for the purpose | 
of being made into the beautiful feather flowers which the nuns 
manufacture so skilfully. Thousands of these birds are slaugh- 1 
tered merely for the crest and gorget, but so prolific are they, 
and so ingeniously do they hide their nests, that the persecution ! 
of many years has scarcely diminished their numbers. More- i 
over, fortunately for the preservation of the species, the colours 
of the female are so dull and sober, that her feathers are of no 
value, and she is allowed to escape the fate that befalls the 
more brightly coloured male. It is a lively little bird, and 
when alarmed utters a hurried cry, sounding like the word, 
4 Pip, pip, pip/ very sharply pronounced. 
The nest of the Brazilian Wood Nymph is exceedingly | 
pretty, and is hung to the tip of some delicate twig, generally | 
that of one of the creeping plants which trail their long stems j 
so luxuriantly over the branches of the great forest trees. The 
walls of the nest are made of vegetable fibres, generally taken 
from the fruit of some palm, and upon the outside are fastened ! 
many patches of flat lichen, so that the whole nest, which 
is very long in proportion to its width, may easily escape j 
detection. 
Two differently-shaped specimens are given in the accom- 
panying illustration, in order that they may be compared with ! 
each other. 
The first in order is that of the Baltimore Oriole ( Yphantes \ 
Baltimore ), a pretty bird, coloured with orange and black in 
bold contrast to each other. Its name is derived, not from 
any particular locality, but from the orange and black of its ; 
plumage, those being the heraldic colours of Lord Baltimore, | 
formerly proprietor of Baltimore. It does not receive the full 
colouring until its third year, the orange hues being simply s 
