THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

EAUTIFUL BIRDS.

,•

HUMMING BIRDS

Ti-e Peru.-sda.Ti CoqTiette aaxl Crimson. Top!

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS

IN FAR-OFF LANDS:

THEIR HAUNTS AND HOMES.

BY

anb (Elizabeth jlirbg,

AUTHORS OF "THE WORLD AT HOME," "THE SEA AND ITS WONDERS," ETC.

LONDON:
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;

EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
1373.

the little volume now presented to the
public, we have endeavoured to seek
out the BEAUTIFUL BIRDS, to follow
them to their native haunts, and to
depict some of the scenes of their home life.

A mere description of the Birds would have
failed to convey any idea of their loveliness ; but
the Coloured Illustrations which embellish the
work bring them before our eyes with life-like
reality.

These Beautiful Birds dwell in a land where
winter never comes. Their gay plumage is suited
to a climate which is as one long summer's day.
The ruby, the emerald, the topaz, form a part of
their toilette ; but none of these gems can rival
the sumptuousness of their attire.

vi PREFACE.

|

In our own land, who amongst us would like
to be without the Birds ?

It is true they are more soberly dressed, but
do they not cheer our daily walks, and speak to
us of gladness ?

Even in winter they do not altogether forsake
us.

The Swift, and the Swallow, and the Painted
Kingfisher have bidden us farewell ; but the
friendly Robin is still at our side, and hops about
our path, as though he had something to teach us.

And is it not this — To remind us of the good-
ness of the Creator in providing for the wants of
every living thing ?

The little Birds have neither storehouse nor
barn ; yet He feedeth them ; and not one of
them falleth to the ground without His permis-
sion.

I. THE FOREST, 9

II. WHERE TO FIND THE BIRDS OP PARADISE, 17

III. A SCENE IN THE FOREST, 21

IV. PREPARING THE BIRDS FOR SALE, 25

V. THE RED BIRD OF PARADISE, 29

VI. THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE, 34

VII. THE VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE ARU ISLANDS, .38

VIII. BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN, 44

IX. THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGER, 51

X. THE SUMMER RED BIRD, 57

XI. THE PARROT, GO

XII. MORE ABOUT THE PARROT G5

XIII. MALACCA PARRAKEET, 72

XIV. THE MANCHINEEL NOT POISON TO THE BIRDS, 76

XV. THE RINGED PARRAKEET, 79

XVI. BIRDS OF THE SPICE ISLANDS, 83

XVII. THE LORIES, 88

XVIII. THE PRINCE OF THE PARROTS, AND THE LOVE-BIRDS, 91

XIX. THE COCKATOO, 95

XX. THE PINK COCKATOO, AND THE GREAT BLACK COCKATOO, ... 99

XXI. THE TROGON, 103

XXII. THE KING'S BIRDS, 109

XXIII. THE BELL-BIRD, ... 113

XXIV. THE PARADISE FLY-CATCHER, ... 116

XXV. THE KING-BIRD, ... 121

viii CONTENTS.

. THE STRANGE EGG IN THE NEST, ...... ... ,.. ..,. ... 128

XXVII. SUN-BIEDS, .................. ... ... 133

XXVIII. THE COLL ABED SUN-BIRD, ............ «. - ... 137

XXIX. AFRICAN SUN-BIRDS, ..................... 141

XXX. THE SPLENDID SUN-BIRD, .................. 146

XXXI. THE PLAINS OF AFRICA, .................. 152

XXXII. THE NAMAQUA SUN-BIRD, .............. . ... 156

XXXIII. THE MALACHITE SUN-BIRD, .................. 161

XXXIV. SUN-BIRDS IN JAVA, ............... ..'. ... 165

XXXV. SUN-BIRD IN SUMATRA, .................. 171

XXXVI. THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD, ............... 174

XXXVII. THE NEPAUL SUN-BIRD, .................. 178

XXXVIII. THE CEYLON SUN-BIRD, ......... ......... 182

XXXIX. THE HUMMING-BIRD, ..................... 185

XL. THE HUMMING-BIRDS OF THE FOREST, ............ 193

XLI. PHAON COMET HUMMING-BIRD, ......... ....... 196

XLII. THE HILL-STAR HUMMING-BIRD, .............. 201

XLIII. THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD, ......... ... 205

XLIV. THE HUMMING-BIRD OF NOOTKA SOUND, ...... - ... ... 210

XLV. THE MANGO HUMMING-BIRD-, ..... . ......... 214

XLVI. GOULD'S COQUETTE, ............... '... • ... 218

XLVII. THE MARVELLOUS HUMMING-BIRD, ... . ........... 222

XL VIII. THE HUMMING-BIRD OF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND, ...... 225

XLIX. THE AZURE CROWN HUMMING-BIRD, ............ 229

L. GOLDEN TAIL, ........................ 233

LI. RUFFED AND TUFTED HUMMING-BIRDS, .......... .. 238

LII. THE CRIMSON TOPAZ, ..................... 243

LIH. THE PURPLE-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD, ...... ...... 247

LIV. OTHER INHABITANTS OF THE FOREST, ............ 250

LV. CORA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD, ............... 254

LVL THE GREEN-TAILED SYLPH, .................. 260

LVII. THE GREAT CRESTED COQUETTE, ............... 204

£3*

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS.

THE FOREST.

you live in the country, I daresay you
often go into the woods. And very
pleasant it is there. You may find the
blue-bell and the white anemone, and you
may see the little squirrel sitting on the branches
of the trees, or else leaping from bough to bough.
You may think there are no woods so deep and
shady as these. The grassy paths may seem like
labyrinths ; and the stillness so profound, you may
fancy, as the poet did, that the spirits of the wTood
wait and hold their peace while you pass by.

10 THE FOREST.

But in hot countries the woods are not like our
woods. They are great dark forests, where the
trees grow so thickly together, and are so tall, that
if you looked up you could hardly see the sky.
Then, there are a great many climbing -plants,
that twist themselves round and round the trunks
and branches of the trees. They are called vege-
table cables, because they are so much like ropes,
and they reach from one tree to another, and
almost fill up the spaces between. The white
man has to fight his way with his hatchet, or else
burn himself a passage.

Dangers of every kind lurk in the forest. The
quick subtle Indian dare not venture without his
poisoned arrow, or the white man without the
thunder and lightning of his gun. The venomous
snake may lie coiled among the bushes, or traces
of the savage jaguar be seen upon the path.

Birds, animals, and insects live undisturbed.
It is their home ; and on every side they are at
work, hunting their prey, or escaping from danger.
Man is not there to wage war upon them ; but
these wild creatures of the forest wage war upon

THE FOEEST. 11

each other, and the weak are always using some
contrivance to protect themselves from the strong.

There are a great many curious things to be
seen in the forest,

In the deepest gloom, where the trees shut out
the sun, myriads of lights flit about, and twinkle
like little stars. They flash here and there, and
you might fancy that troops of fairies were carry-
ing torches in their hands ; but there are no fairies
in the case, — the lights are only the torches of the
fire-flies that live in the recesses of the wood, and
every night make a kind of illumination amongst
the trees.

Then there are troops of monkeys, that run
along the vegetable cables from one tree to the
other, or swing from the branches by their tails,
making a noise all the time as if they were talking
to each other. When night comes they roll them-
selves into a ball, all huddled together as close as
may be, to keep themselves warm. Sometimes it
happens that a few little monkeys have not been
alert enough to get into the ball, and are left
shivering outside. They keep up a pitiful howling

12 THE FOREST.

the whole night through, telling the rest how cold
and miserable they are, and begging to be let in.
But the others are very hard-hearted ; they pay
no attention, and go quietly off to sleep.

In Tropical America vast rivers run through the
forest, and numberless streams and creeks wind
along, twisting and doubling in every direction.
On the bank is a complete wall of forest, that
presents a firm, dense barrier. Now and then a
sad story has reached us of travellers lost in the
forest, and who have tried to make their way by
the side of the stream. But the thick brushwood
and jungle, that grew close to the water's edge,
has stopped their progress, and made it impossible
to push on further.

Even the fierce jaguar, the tiger of the forest,
often loses himself in the tangled maze. He can-
not force his way, supple as he is, through the
labyrinth. He is obliged to climb a tree, and
travel for miles along the branches, passing from
one tree to another, and running up and down the
vegetable ropes and ladders with the adroitness of
a monkey.

THE FOREST. 13

While he remains in this leafy home, the poor
monkeys form his chief supply of food. They flee
before him with shrill screams, and use all their
nimbleness to get out of his way.

The wall of forest presents a wonderful spectacle.
Often it is gloomy and dark, and the trees are of
a uniform colour. But here and there a mighty
tree has pushed its way up through the mass, as
if resolved to get more light and air. Its splendid
crown of flowers, red, white, or yellow, towers
aloft.

Here are the palms in full magnificence —
crowned in the season with beauty. And, now
and then, the scene is like fairyland.

Brilliant blossoms of white and scarlet over-
hang the water, and flowering creepers hang
around the trees, and droop from the branches
like festoons. Here, in the more open spots
where the wall of forest recedes, are found the
Beautiful Birds we are about to describe. It is
their home and dwelling.

Flocks of Parrots glisten in the sun, clad in
glowing scarlet, or green, or gold. Humming-

14 THE FOREST.

birds, like gems of beauty, come to seek honey and
insects from the forest flowers. Fly -catchers
gleam and sparkle. Water-fowl of snowy plumage
sport on the streams, and their white dresses
contrast with those of the red Flamingo, or the
scarlet Ibis, that stand patiently fishing on the
shore!

Here and there a black object appears on the
water, that looks like a log of wood floating slowly
down. But it is nothing of the kind. It is the
fierce alligator watching for his prey. And here,
too, fringing many an islet in the river, is seen
the wonderful mangrove, a tree that can grow
on the shores of the ocean, with its roots bathed
by the salt waves.

A belt of mangroves fringing the river -bank
will push itself farther and farther, until a portion
of land will actually be reclaimed and wrested, as
it were, from the water.

The mangrove has a curious way of lifting itself
out of the ground or swamp. Its roots form a
number of arches, which rise up to some height
and spread themselves far and wide. From the

THE FOREST. 15

midst of the arches springs the stem, clothed with
branches and gay with flowers.

All among the arches, and in the damp black
mud out of which they spring, millions of insects,
and crabs, and living creatures sport in safety.

Man cannot approach them, for the air is fatal
to him, though harmless to them.

There is a special provision made by Nature for
the mangrove. The seed drops, at the proper
season, and is in danger of being carried away, by
the stream, from the muddy bank on which alone
it could grow. But it is possessed of a small
rootlet, by which it can attach itself at once to the
swampy ground, and remain there in security.
These rootlets are put forth, and the stem gradu-
ally rises up from the midst, and another man-
grove is added to the great belt of trees that lines
the bank.

At times the mighty river becomes swollen by
the rains. Then, huge waves rise and march
rapidly onward. It overflows its banks, and
rushes through the forest with a terrible roar and
crash.

16 THE FOREST.

The forest trees, gigantic as they are, become
uprooted, and are carried away by the stream as
though they were reeds or rushes. The monkeys,
the jaguars, all the creatures of the forest are
swept away. And the gloomy alligator swims
where lately they made their home in the
branches.

(393)

II.
WHERE TO FIND THE BIRDS OF PARADISE.

you turn to the map of Asia, you will
find a number of islands lying to the
south of Malacca, and forming a link
between Asia and Australia.
These islands are in the very midst of the
Tropics. The warm Tropical seas bathe their
coasts, and dark dense forests cover many of them
from the sea-shore to the top of the highest moun-
tain.

Beautiful birds, and insects of wondrous size
and rainbow hues, flit among the deep recesses,
almost like creatures of another world. The
white man rarely visits this far-off land. The

1398;

18 ' WHERE TO FIND THE BIRDS OF PARADISE.

dangers that he would meet with are too great.
The natives, in many places, are fierce and cunning,
and would kill him with their spears or weapons ;
and yet without their aid he could not make his
way through the forest depths, let him try as he
might.

Do you see the great island of New Guinea ?
It is one of the largest islands in the world.
The traveller might sail round its shores for
weeks, and fancy he had reached a continent. A
portion of the island is yet unknown, and no
white man has set his foot there.

The people who inhabit New Guinea are called
Papuans. Their skin is black, but has not the
deep jet of the Negro. Their hair is very peculiar,
and the fashion in which they wear it is just
as curious.

When the Papuan is young, his hair grows . in
little tufts or curls all over his head, and is very
dry and frizzly. By degrees it becomes a kind of
frizzly mop, and when it has reached this state it
is considered to be the height of fashion.

The Papuan takes the utmost pains with his

WHERE TO FIND THE BIRDS OF PARADISE. 19

inop-like hair, and tries hard to prevent its get-
ting tangled. He keeps a comb made of bamboo,
with long teeth like the prongs of a fork, always
ready for use. And if he has a few minutes to
spare, he busies himself in combing his frizzly
locks. His house is quite a curiosity, but we
should not like to live in it.

In some of the villages by the sea-coast, the
houses stand in the water ; and you must go to
them by means of a bridge. The roof is like a
boat turned wrong side upwards ; and the house
itself stands on poles to raise it above the water.

Should you like to know a little more, about
these strange-looking houses ? The floor is very
uneven, and often has great holes in it. It is
made of rubbish — such as sticks and leaves and
old boards — put rudely together. You can
hardly walk over this rough floor ; and a child
might easily slip through one of the holes.

The very poles on which the house rests often
lean as if they would fall ; and, worse than this, if
you looked up, you would see a row of human
skulls hanging under the eaves. They are the

20 WHERE TO FIND THE BIRDS OF PARADISE.

skulls of men of another tribe, whom the Papuan
has killed in battle.

New Guinea is a very interesting place to the
naturalist. Here are many curious insects, such
as are found nowhere else. And here, and in the
islands close by, called the Aru Islands, are found
the Birds of Paradise. They live nowhere else.

The eager naturalist who wishes to possess
them, or to see them in their native haunts, must
track them to this far-off land ; but the dangers
and trials of such a journey are very great. It
was not till within the last few years that the
way was opened by an enterprising traveller,*
who went on a voyage of discovery. He came
to this very spot, to obtain specimens of the
Birds of Paradise, and to study their habits. If
we follow in his steps, we shall behold many
curious scenes, and visit places hitherto unknown.

* A. R. Wallace, Esq.

III.
A SCENE IN THE FOKEST.

is early morning, and as yet the sun has
not smitten the earth with his scorching
beams. The forest is alive with brilliant
creatures, that, a few hours hence, will
be hidden in its coolest and deepest recesses.

The Parrots, and the Pigeons, and the gor-
geous little Fly -catchers, glisten among the
branches, and are full of animation. But the scene
I am about to describe does not relate to these.

Do you notice yonder tree, with great spread-
ing boughs that grow from the top of the stem,
and form a kind of leafy plateau? At present
the plateau is clear of occupants. But, creeping

22 A SCENE IN THE FOREST.

silently towards the tree, you may see a native
with his bow and arrow. Look more narrowly,
and you will perceive a hut woven of the
branches, and quite hidden amongst them. It is
so carefully concealed that not even a bird can
guess it is there.

The native climbs the tree and creeps into the
bower, for such it may be called. He lies there,
silent and motionless, and the forest sights and
sounds go on around him.

Presently a bird alights on the green plateau
over his head. I can scarce give you, by mere
words, any idea of its surpassing beauty.

Its head and neck are of a delicate yellow, and
have the effect of velvet. Its throat is of an
emerald green, and there are deep green plumes
across the forehead.

But the principal ornament by which it is dis-
tinguished is a plume of long, delicate feathers of
an orange gold colour. By this plume you see at
once that you have before you the most lovely in-
habitant of the Tropics — the great Bird of Para-
dise. The native sees the bird as well. He

A SCENE IN THE FOREST. 23

bends his bow and fixes his arrow, but he still
remains motionless. The time for action has not
yet arrived. In an instant, another Bird of Para-
dise alights on the tree. Then a third; — the birds
are gathering fast upon the leafy plateau. They
are full of activity, and fly from branch to branch,
and wave their plumes until the tree seems alive
with them. The effect is wonderful, and cannot
be surpassed even in this land of beauty.

Sometimes, a bird will crouch down as if in
frolic, and raise its plumes over its head till they
look like fans of shining gold.

But all the time it is thus in the enjoyment of
its life and vigour, an enemy is on the watch.
The eye of the native is keenly fixed upon it.
Another moment, and an arrow with a blunted
point strikes its lovely head or breast.

The poor bird is stunned, and drops down, — its
forest joys ended. As it lies helpless on the
ground, a boy, who is waiting for the purpose,
picks it up and kills it without injuring its plum-
age. .

The blow has come so silently and unexpectedly

24 A SCENE IN THE FOREST.

that the rest of the birds do not seem to know
what has happened. They continue their merry
game, until another falls, and then another.

At length, it occurs to them that some enemy
is near, and their only safety is in flight. Then
the Indian knows his morning's work is over.
He quits his lurking-place, picks up his dead
birds, and carries them home.

IV.
PREPARING THE BIRDS FOR SALE.

?HEN the native has reached his home,
he sets to work to prepare the Birds
of Paradise for sale. He intends to dis-
pose of them to the traders who come
that way, or to any Europeans who may chance
to land. He cuts off the wings and feet, and re-
moves the skin. Then he puts a stick through
the body, wraps it in a palm-leaf, and dries it in
the smoke. By this process the body itself is
shrunk almost to nothing ; but the flowing plumes
retain their beauty. These, indeed, are all the
native bird-stuffer cares about.

Some of the smoke-dried specimens, such as I

26 PREPARING THE BIRDS FOR SALE.

have been describing, used to be brought to
Europe. No one had the least idea what birds
they were, or from what country they came.
They were supposed to have no legs, and all kinds
of foolish tales were told about them. They were
said never to touch the ground, but to live on
dew. Indeed, the name of " Bird of Paradise "
was given them on this account ; a name they
have retained ever since.

By degrees the truth came to light. It was
found out that the Bird of Paradise was possessed
of legs, and could settle on the ground, and feed
like other birds. In fact, there was nothing
supernatural about it.

The chiefs of New Guinea, and of the other
islands, trade in the Birds of Paradise, and take
care to keep the trade in their own hands. They
do npt like a stranger to interfere with it ; indeed,
both they and their subjects dislike the coming of
the white man, and throw many obstacles in his
way ; added to which, in some of the islands there
is scarcely any food. The natives are too lazy to
work, and would almost rather starve. Yet the

PREPARING THE BIRDS FOR SALE. 27

soil would produce an hundredfold, if they would
take the pains to cultivate it.

This is especially the case in the places where
the sago-palni grows ; for sago and fish are all
the native seems to care for.

The tree is something like the cocoa-nut palm,
but its stem is thicker, and it has great prickly
leaves that cover the trunk. These leaves are
fifteen feet long, and immensely thick. But in
spite of their thickness they are very light, and
can easily be carried. The people make great use
of these' giant leaves. They build houses of them,
thatch with them, and floor with them. Nothing
can be more convenient.

As for the trunk, it feeds millions of people.
At the proper season it is cut down, the leaves
taken away, and a slit made from one end to
the other. Then the natives come with wooden
clubs and break the pith, and clear it out. It is
carried away in baskets to a washing-machine,
which stands in the river, and is made of the palm-
wood itself. Wh^n the pith or sago is ready, the
women employ themselves in making it into

28 PREPARING THE BIRDS FOR SALE.

bread. The bread is baked in a curious little
oven, with divisions in it. The sago is poured in,
and fills the spaces between the divisions. It is
baked in five minutes into nice hot cakes, which
are very delicate when eaten fresh. But they are
most useful dried, and put by as a supply of food.
It is true they get as hard as wood, but the
people like them, and are accustomed to live al-
most entirely upon them. Little children may be
seen gnawing the sago-cakes, as our English chil-
dren gnaw a crust of bread.

The European cannot thrive on such a diet ;
and it requires all his love for science to enable
him to exist. Only one European has ever made
a lengthened stay there ; and he was the enter-
prising naturalist who endured every hardship,
and even risked his life, to obtain a thorough
knowledge of the Birds of Paradise.

V.
THE RED BIRD OF PARADISE.

MATURE has not given to the Bird of
Paradise any musical powers. His voice
is curious, but not at all harmonious.
Early in the morning, a loud, harsh note
is heard to resound through the forest, as though
some one were crying out " "Wok ! " " wok ! " It is
the morning cry of the Great Bird of Paradise, as
he wakes up to seek his breakfast from the trees.

It is a signal for the forest cries to begin, and
soon a chorus sounds from branch and bush.
Parrots chatter and scream. All kinds of birds
chirp or whistle, or utter their morning notes, until
the noise is almost deafening.

30 THE RED BIRD OF PARADISE.

The Bird of Paradise, with his golden plumage,
has many relations. Some of these have never
been beheld by Europeans. For ages, successive
generations of them have sported in the depths of
the forest, and gladdened no human eye.

The bird in the picture has plumes of a rich
crimson, tipped with white, and more gorgeous
than you can imagine. His throat is of a rich
green, and he has a little tuft of green feathers
on his forehead. The most curious ornaments
he possesses are two long, stiff quills, something
like whalebone, that hang down with a graceful
curve. When the poor bird is dead and lies
upon his back, these quills form themselves into
a circle and meet at his neck..

The hen-bird does not possess the gay colours
or the flowing plumes of her mate. She is a plain-
looking bird, and does not attract any attention.
Nor did the various charms of the male bird
appear at once. When he was young, his' long
quills were mere short feathers, and gave no pro-
mise of what they would afterwards become.
And it was only by degrees that the lovely

THE RED BIRD OF PARADISE. 31

quills and wonderful plumes made their appear-
ance.

The Red Birds of Paradise are only found in
one spot. They live in a small island close by
New Guinea. This is one of the islands where
the traveller finds little comfort and scarcely any-
thing to eat.

The natives pay every year a tribute of Birds of
Paradise to a neighbouring chief. But they will
not take any further trouble. They neither plant
nor sow. Each native has, if he can, a frizzly-
headed Papuan for a slave, and lives himself in
perfect idleness.

Even though the cocoa-nut palm grows in the
island, it does not enrich the people. They do
not cultivate any vegetables, but they cut down
the green cocoa-nuts, and eat them instead.

In the forests of this island the Eed Birds of
Paradise have their home. They are not shot
with a blunt arrow, but another mode of catching
them is employed.

There is a great climbing-plant that grows in
the forest and bears a red seed. The bird is very

32 THE KED BIRD OF PARADISE.

fond of the seed, and when it is ripe comes to eat
it. The hunter knows this ; so he gathers the
bunch of seed and fastens it to a stick. He has
a long piece of cord with him, and thus provided,
he walks off into the forest.

He soon finds a tree on which the birds are
likely to come and perch, and he climbs it with
the agility of a monkey. Then he ties his bunch
of seed to a branch, making it look as if it grew
there, and leaving a noose to dangle in such a way
that the poor bird is almost sure to get caught in it.

When all is ready, he gets down and sits under
the tree, holding the end of the cord in his hand.
Sometimes he has to w^ait a whole day, or even
longer, before a bird will come. But he has
great patience, and nothing else to do.

Presently a bird will come and perch on the
bough where the ripe seed is displayed. It looks
very tempting, and the poor silly bird goes to it,
and begins to peck at the bait. Its legs soon get
entangled in the cord ; and then the hunter gives
it a pull, and down comes the poor bird, and is
caught.

THE RED BI11D OF PARADISE. 33

An attempt was made* to keep the Birds of
Paradise alive in a cage. They were very lively
at first — for it is their nature to be in constant
motion — and they ate fruit and insects, or what-
ever food was given them. But it was soon seen
that captivity was fatal to these children of the
forest. At the end of a few days, they fell off the
perch and died.

* By Mr. Wallace.

(303)

VI.
THE KING BIRD OF PAEADISE.

[LOSE by New Guinea, at a little distance
to the south, lie a group of islands called
the Aru Islands. We seem here to have
left the civilized world behind ; and we
should not have ventured to so remote a spot but
for the beautiful birds we shall find in its deep,
dark forests, — forests not yet explored, and with
scarce any of their treasures brought to light.

What is that lovely creature which is flying
from branch to branch ? The place where we
stand is not the dense part of the forest. The
trees here are a moderate size, and the ground is
more open. The bird is devouring the fruit of

THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE. 35

the tree on which it is perched. It flutters its
wings and makes a curious sound) something like
the whirring noise of a wheel. And, like the rest
of its tribe, it is always in motion ; you never see
it still an instant.

Let us admire, for a few moments, its surpassing
beauty. Its body is about the size of our English
Thrush, but how different a costume has Nature
given to it ! You can see in the Picture how the
bird is dressed. The white plumage underneath
the body is soft and glossy as silk. And between
the rich purple of the throat and the white of the
body is a band or stripe of the most brilliant
green.

But these exquisite colours are only part of the
ornaments that Nature has bestowed. Do you see
those two fan-like appendages on either side the
body and beneath the wings ? They are tipped
with the richest green, — and can be spread out
when the bird chooses. In the Picture it has done
so, and you see them to perfection.

Then you must notice the long tail-wires, as
they are called, which hang down, and are tipped

36 THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE.

with two green feathers or buttons. These
wonderful buttons are not found in any other
species. They belong only to the King Bird of
Paradise, — and it is a King Bird that we see
before us.

The naturalist, gazing for the first time on this
gem of beauty, is filled with delight. But the
natives smile at his expressions of admiration.
After all, what is it but a mere " Goby-goby," as
they call it, — a bird as common, with them as the
Thrush or the Robin is with us ! They see nothing
to wonder at ; still less to come thousands of miles
to obtain !

And it is a great mystery to them why the
naturalist should fill his hut with all those stuffed
birds, and insects ; and butterflies as large as your
hand, and dressed in green and gold and crimson.
Large and splendid as they are, nothing can be
more common. And surely the people who live
in his country, and make knives and looking-
glasses, and all manner of wonderful things,
cannot care about butterflies and goby-gobies !

One day an old man made a guess on the

THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE. 37

subject that amused the naturalist,* and caused him
to laugh.

The old man declared he had found out the
secret. No doubt the birds, and all the stuffed
creatures, that the white man was going to carry
away in his box, would come to life when they
reached his country ! Yes, that must be the
reason !

At one time of the year, the birds are very
merry indeed. They hold what the natives call
their dancing-parties. Do you rgmember the tree
I spoke of, with its broad green top like a plateau 1
At a certain season, and when the birds are in
full plumage, they come here in parties of twenty
or more, and begin to play about, or, as the natives
say, to dance. They put themselves in all kinds
of attitudes, and wave their plumes about till the
tree seems alive. This is the time the most
favourable for the naturalist : he can now behold
the birds in their full beauty. At other seasons
they moult, and lose their feathers, as other birds
do, and are not worth preserving.

*Mr. Wallace.

VII.

THE VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE
ART! ISLANDS.

.CANNOT quit these far-off islands without
giving you a little more information conT
cerning them.

We are, as I said before, out of the
track of civilized life. Vessels rarely find their
way hither. The people are mere savages ; there
are neither towns nor cities, such as we are accus-
tomed to see ; and the dense Tropical forest
stretches for miles around us. But Nature revels
in undisturbed freedom ; and creatures of beauty
and plants of wild and splendid luxuriance are
found on every hand. The group called the Aru

VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE ART! ISLANDS. 39

Islands consists of one large island and a number
of smaller ones which surround it. The sea that
bathes the shore is shallow and full of coral. And
the pearl-oyster is found here, and forms part of
the trade of the natives.

When I speak of trade and traders, you must
not think of white people. The traders are a
motley group that come from the neighbouring
islands, or from China and Malacca. They come
in native boats called proas, and bring all kinds
of merchandise, — such as knives and tobacco, and
even fancy goods, such as looking-glasses and
crockery. And in return, they take away Birds, of
Paradise and sugar-canes, and the few commo-
dities afforded by the country.

I must tell you that the sugar-cane grows here
abundantly, and the sailors who come in the boats
are very fond of it. They eat it greedily, and are
constantly chewing and sucking it, and cutting at
it with their knives. They never seem as if they
could get enough.

The place where the traders meet is on the
beach, and has a row of sheds, called, by the

40 VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE ARU ISLANDS.

natives, houses. Part of the shed is used by the
trader, when he comes, as a store in which to put
his merchandise ; and during his stay, a little
bustle goes on in the desolate spot.

All behind the village is the dense forest,
with its swarms of living creatures; its Birds
of Paradise, its gigantic butterflies, and its spin-
ning spiders, that spread a net as thick as a
veil, and strong enough to entangle you. Some-
times you come on the spider itself, a great
yellow creature of monstrous size, and covered
with spots.

The beach, in some places, presents a wonderful
appearance. Mighty branches droop down from
the trees and are clothed with fantastic flowers.
These flowers do not belong to the tree. They are
of the Orchis tribe, and have inserted themselves
into the branch, and seem to spring from it.
Others, of strange and brilliant form, hang down
by threads, and look as if they grew in the air.
And here and there, a palm raises its graceful
crown, or a tree-fern appears in all its beauty,
and mounts up to the height of thirty feet. The

VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE ARU ISLANDS. 41

Aru people are not industrious, but they grow
some kinds of vegetables, such as yams and plan-
tains. They are very fond of shell-fish, and con-
sume quantities of cockles.

Their most fatal propensity is that of drinking
a spirituous liquor called arrack. The traders
bring the arrack in boxes, each box containing
a number of bottles. The Aru man can easily
buy the box. He has only to go out fishing,
and get a quantity of trepang. The trepang is
a sea-slug, and crawls at the bottom of the sea,
It is a disagreeable -looking creature, but the

o o *

Chinese have a great fancy for it, and cook and
eat it as a delicacy.

The native goes out in a boat, and dives down
into the water and picks it up. He dries and
prepares it in his hut — a process easily managed — •
and gets it ready for the market. And then he
can cut ratan, which is a climbing, reed-like palm
that grows in the forest. It has long slender
stems, armed at every joint with spines, and can
run as well as climb.

Sometimes the stems run along the ground to

42 VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE ARU ISLANDS.

an immense distance, or they climb up some lofty
palm, and embrace it so closely that it dies. Then
the curious twisted arms of the ratan are left like
so many snakes, turning and twisting and holding
each other up. The tree has decayed and gone,
and the ratan stems look as though they were
embracing the air.

The dense thickets in the forest are made up a
good deal of this creeping, climbing palm. The
naturalist who wants to force a way through it,
is caught and hooked by the spines, and must have
his path cleared with a hatchet. But though so
troublesome to the traveller, and, as far as he is
concerned, the scourge of the forest, the ratan can
be turned to good account. The natives plat it
into mats and baskets, and twist it into ropes and
cordage. So strong are these natural ropes — the
cordage, we might term it, of the forest — that in
some parts of the Tropics bridges are made of them
across the rivers and streams.

With the trepang and the ratan together the
native can buy plenty of arrack ; and it is so much
the worse for him. He carries it home, calls his

VISIT OF THE TRADERS TO THE ARU ISLANDS. 43

family and friends together, and they have a
regular drinking-bout.

His carouse often ends in a very sad way, for
the men get so excited, they seem as if they were
going mad. They will tear and break all that
comes in their way.

VIII.
BIKDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEK

|OU must not suppose that the beautiful
birds you have seen in the Pictures
include the whole family of the Birds of
Paradise. This is far from being the
case. Many birds, of most lovely and exquisite
plumage, flit about in remote and secluded spots,
and have never been beheld by the white man.
He can only judge of their appearance by the few
smoke-dried specimens that are procured from the
natives, and which give but a slight idea of the
splendour of the living birds. Still, we are glad
to know that such rare and beautiful creatures

BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN. 45

do actually exist, and to glean every particular
concerning them.

There is the Magnificent Bird of Paradise ;
and well does it deserve the title. It is very
rare, and is only found in New Guinea and in one
other island. It has a mass of feathers, of a
yellow colour, on its neck, which form themselves
into a kind of hood or mantle. Its tail-wires are
of a rich blue, and form themselves into a circle.
In another species, if possible more gorgeously
attired, the mantle or hood is yellow, and the
breast green. The skin on the head is bare ; but
is of a rich blue, with bands of black. Then there
is the rarest of the whole family, the Superb Bird
of Paradise. We only know it by an occasional
smoke-dried specimen, that has come under the
notice of the white man. It lives in the central
part of New Guinea, beyond his reach or sight,
and is very difficult to procure. The natives do
not care to take the trouble, and value the bird
very slightly. They call it the Black Bird of
Paradise, and give no information about its
habits. Then there is a bird which has a num-

46 BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN.

ber of shaft-like feathers springing from its head.
Its breast is a brilliant yellow, which changes into
green and blue every minute. The band of
feathers on the back of the head shine and sparkle
like precious stones ; and over the forehead is a
patch of white that shines like satin. The six
feathers or shafts are the most wonderful part of
its appearance, and when alive it must baffle
description. But it is rarely seen, and its dry
and shrunk skin is all the European can obtain.

I must not omit to mention an entirely new
specimen, found by Mr. Wallace himself, and
named after him. It is called Standard Wing ;
and besides the usual gorgeous colours in which it
is dressed, it has a pair of long feathers springing
from the wings, and which are in no other species.
The bird is met with in the Spice Islands, and
clings to the branch of the tree as the Woodpecker
does. It has a harsh creaking note, like the creak
of a gate. The long feathers, I should tell you,
are of a white colour, and can be raised or lowered
at pleasure. From them, the bird has its name
of Standard Wing.

BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN. 47

The birds I have mentioned belong to one tribe
of the Paradise order ; but they have some rela-
tions with long bills, and that are called Long-
billed Birds of Paradise.

There is a magnificent bird of this class, with a
long curved bill, and that is called the Twelve-
wired Bird, because of the twelve wires or shafts
that spring from under its wings, and curve in
a fantastic manner. It flies about among the
flowers, extracting sugar from them, for sugar is
its favourite food. It loves to hover about the
sago-palm, when the great spike of flowers is
about to unclose. It has large, strong feet, with
which it can clasp the spathe of the flower, while
it feasts on the rich contents. But it has all the
restlessness of its family ; and when it has sucked
a little juice, it soon flies off to another tree in
quest of more.

Its loud shrill call may be heard a long way off.
It begins high, and gradually sinks lower and
lower, till it reaches the last note, and then the
bird darts away.

The natives hunt the Twelve-wired Bird, and lay

48 BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN.

a snare for it. They find out the tree on which it
roosts, and which is more of a bush than a tree.
They climb up in the night, and shoot the poor
bird with one of their blunt arrows ; or they
throw a piece of cloth over it and take it alive.
Then there is the Long-tailed Bird of Paradise,
which has also a slender bill, and a tail a little
like a Peacock. It has also a number of plumes
on each side of the breast, that stand up, and are
striped with the most brilliant green and blue.
No European has ever seen it alive. It lives
in the unknown parts of New Guinea, where the
inhabitants are so uncivilized that it is not safe
to venture near them.

It is said that the nest of the bird is under-
ground, and that it has two holes, — one for an
entrance and the other for an outlet. This is
what the natives report, and they are generally
pretty correct.

I might weary you with descriptions of these
beautiful birds, and yet you can form very little
idea of how they appear in their native forests.
They are so difficult to obtain that the naturalist

BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN. 49

could only procure a few specimens during a resi-
dence of many months on the islands.

An attempt was made to penetrate into the
unknown districts of New Guinea, in order to find
some -of the species I have named, and which have
never been seen alive by the white man. But
the dangers were very great. The natives of the
coast declared that the people of the interior
would kill any stranger who made his appearance
amongst them. And when the naturalist* did
arrive at a place where some of the birds were
said to be found, he had not a single guide or
interpreter. He remained there a month without
being able to understand a word that was said,
and had to make signs for what he wanted.

Nor did he succeed in h'is purpose. The birds
were still many miles distant, and he found it
impossible to penetrate further into such a bar-
barous and inaccessible country.

But in these very districts, remote and peopled
with savages, has Nature stored up her choicest
productions. They are not accessible to any but

* Mr. Allen.
(393) -±

50 BIRDS THAT NO WHITE MAN HAS SEEN.

the natives. The rocks, mountains, swamps, and
the dense wall of forest, shut them up from the
rest of the world. Now and then a specimen
reaches us of surpassing loveliness, and we gaze
with wonder and delight. But the shrunk body
and smoke-dried skin is very different from the
living, moving creature, radiant with beauty,
and flashing light as it were from its wings 1

IX.
THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGEK.

IjHERE is a tribe of birds very familiar to
us all ; they belong to a large, well-
marked division, in the great family of
birds, called Perchers and Climbers.
They are seen hopping and perching and climb-
ing everywhere, and they are known by the name
of Finches.

The poor little Finch is often persecuted by the
farmer with much injustice. It is found amongst
the corn, and the owner of the field, seeing it very
busy, thinks it is making havoc of the grain.
But in reality the Finch is doing nothing of the
kind. It is picking out the seeds from some

52 THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGER.

tall, troublesome weeds that grow among the
wheat.

If the little Finches were let alone, they would
devour an immense quantity of these seeds, and
prevent the weed from spreading. .

There are a vast number of the Finch tribe in
England, and you know them well. There is the
Goldfinch, the Bullfinch, the Chaffinch, and many
more. It has been said that the number of weeds
they keep under would cover many thousand acres.

How important it is to know our friends from
our foes, and to spare the little birds !

I should not have introduced the Finch to your
notice, but that he has a relation in these Tropical
countries of which we are speaking.

Here he is in the Picture, and you can perceive
how much more gaily he is dressed than our
humble birds at home. His colours are brilliant.
He wears green, and red, and blue ; and his plum-
age looks like velvet. He is a very familiar bird
in the Tropics, and fills the same place that the
Sparrow does at home. He is to be seen every-
where, glittering and flashing among the trees in

THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGER. 53

the garden or orchard. He is not afraid of any-
thing, but hops, and perches, and chirps, and is
quite at his ease. He is not called the Finch. He
has another name in this part of the world. He
is the Tanager. There is a brilliant little bird,
called the Scarlet Tanager, that is found in the
forests of North America, and that has a glowing
band of red on his wings. He is a very sociable
bird, and ventures near the abode of man. He
will come to the gardens to seek for fruit and
insects, and will even place his nest on a tree by
the roadside. But as soon as the young Tanagers
are old enough, the parent birds will lead them
away southward to escape the winter.

The old birds choose the night as the safest
time for flitting, and glide through the woods
followed by their little ones. Many families may
be seen travelling in this way, on their route to a
warmer spot.

The love of the parent birds for their young is
very touching. Nothing will induce them to
forsake their offspring. I can relate a little story
to prove the fact.

54 THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGER.

A naturalist, who was very fond of studying
the habits of birds, once caught a young Tanager,
and carried it to his home. He then procured a
cage, placed his prisoner within it, and hung the
cage in a tree. There was a nest in the tree occu-
pied by a number of young birds called Orioles.
The parent Orioles kept flying backwards and for-
wards to feed their brood, and the naturalist hoped
they would take pity on the little Tanager in the
cage, and give it something to eat. But no such
thing seemed likely to happen. The parent
Orioles were far too busy attending to the wants
of their own offspring to notice the Tanager,
though they flew close by it. And as the poor
little captive refused to be fed by the naturalist,
there was some danger lest it should die of
starvation.

Such a fate would, indeed, have befallen it, but
that a deliverer was at hand. A Scarlet Tanager,
full-grown, and no doubt the parent bird come in
search of its little one, arrived at the cage, and
made an attempt to get in. This it could not do,
and after many fruitless efforts it flew away. But

THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGER. 55

very soon it returned, carrying an insect in its
bill, which it offered to the captive. This time
the hungry little Tanager did not refuse to be fed,
and the parent bird continued to bring insects and
other food until night. Then it took up its abode
in the tree close by the cage. The Orioles seemed
offended at the intrusion, and treated it with the
utmost insolence. But the Tanager bore their
insults with patience, and seemed resolved that
nothing should drive it to forsake its charge.
Some time passed, and the young Tanager grew
larger and stronger, and quite able to fly. The
parent bird did all it could to coax the prisoner
out of the cage, and made use of every note and
gesture, as it appeared, of entreaty and persuasion.
But the bars of the cage presented an obstacle
not to be removed, and the poor birds were both
of them in despair.

At length the owner of the garden, who* had
watched all this with great interest, felt his heart
relent. He placed a ladder against the tree, and
climbing up to the cage, opened the door. The
scene that followed repaid his kindness and

56 THE BLUE-HEADED TANAGEE.

humanity. Out came the Tanager, and was
received by the parent bird with cries of delight.
Then both together, and still uttering notes of
rapture, they took the way to the forest.

THE SUMMER RED BIRD.

[HEBE is another species of Tanager that is
found in North America, and that I must
not pass over. He is called the Summer
Red Bird, and is of a rich vermilion
colour, with legs and feet of a light blue. He is
solitary in his habits, and likes to haunt that part
of the forest which is filled with stunted shrubs
and trees. But he is careful to keep to the warm
districts, and cannot endure the slightest cold.
At the least approach of it, he takes his depar-
ture, and is, literally, a bird of the summer.

When the Tanagers move from one part of the
country to another, they rise high in the air, and

58 THE SUMMEK RED BIRD.

fly by day, instead of during the darkness of night.
When night comes they dive into the woods, as
if to roost ; and their peculiar note may be heard
very plainly. The female bird seems to be re-
peating the words " Chicky, chucky," over and
over again. But her partner has a loud and rather
agreeable whistle, like a shake on some musical
instrument.

The female bird is seldom seen ; and her plain
costume is hardly to be distinguished from the
foliage amid which she hides herself. But the
brilliant plumage of her mate flashes and glances
hither and thither as he moves about, and renders
him an object of the greatest beauty. He is in-
deed of the number of beautiful birds !

The nest of the Summer Eed Bird is fixed OD
some forked branch of a tree. The birds choose
often a tree on the open road, or in some part of
the wood that has been cleared. The nest is made
in rather a slovenly manner, of dried stalks and
weeds. It is so loosely fixed that a sharp blow
may shake it off. The eggs are of a light blue
colour, and the parent birds sit upon them by

THE SUMMER RED BIRD. 59

turns, and evince the greatest anxiety for their
safety.

The Summer Eed Bird feeds on insects, and
seems to prefer those of the beetle tribe. He
will swallow very large ones indeed, such as you
would hardly suppose possible. And he likes to
pursue his prey on the wing, as the Fly-catchers
do.

These beautiful birds are often seen perched on
the branches of a vine that grows wild in that
country, and is called the muscadine. In England
we cultivate the grape in hot -houses, with the
utmost care. But in the warm parts of America
it may be seen everywhere.

Sometimes the vine climbs up the stem of some
lofty tree, and turns round and round the branches
until it reaches the extremities, when it still goes
on growing, and appears to swing in the air. Rich
clusters of grapes hang in profusion ; and when
they are ripe a shake will bring them down.

The traveller, coming that way, welcomes the
sight of the fruitful vine, and stops to refresh
himself with its abundance.

XI.
THE PARROT.

[HERE is a tribe of birds, in the forest,
better known to us and more familiar
than the Birds of Paradise. Many of
them find their way to England, not as
dead and smoke-dried specimens, but as creatures
of living beauty. I mean the family of Parrots.
In England we see them shut up in cages ; but
in their native forests their splendid dresses shine
and sparkle among the trees, until the branches
seem alive with blue, and scarlet, and emerald.

The Parrot has been said to resemble its lively
neighbour, the Monkey. You rarely if ever see
it attempt to walk. Like the monkey, it climbs

THE PARROT. 61

nimbly from bough to bough, and swings itself
about, hanging by its bill and claws. These use-
ful members serve it both for hands and for feet.

As ii> climbs from bough to bough, the tender
green twigs around are a kind of meadow or pas-
ture in which it delights. It will cling by its
bill to the bough overhead. Then, with one of
its feet, it grasps a branch by its side, and with
the other foot it takes hold of a twig on the
other side. Thus it makes its way through the
trees as fast as it can.

The naturalist, who has carefully studied the
subject, can tell by looking at the bill what kind
of food the bird subsists upon. And the bill of
the Parrot tells its own story. It is intended to
do hard work, and to crack the forest nuts, and
get out the kernels. It has, therefore, a peculiar
form, and it would be worth our while to pause
a moment, and look at it.

It is a strong, sharp, hooked instrument, which
the Parrot can drive into the hardest shell, and
make a hole in it. And it is worked by very
powerful muscles indeed. The Parrot's large, full

62 THE PARROT.

cheek is taken up with these great muscles. They
work both jaws — the upper as well as the lower.
The Parrot's upper jaw is not fixed, as ours is.
It never snaps its "bill; but it can work its jaws
together, and in a way in which we cannot.
This is why the Parrot's bill is so amazingly
strong.

If you could see some of the forest nuts that
it cracks, you would understand the reason of
this great provision of strength.

The shell of the fruit is as hard as iron, but
the Parrot can wrench it open with its bill, or
drive a hole in it. While it does so, it holds the
fruit in its foot, as in a hand, and puts it in the
right position with its great fleshy tongue.

What with its strong foot, its powerful bill,
and its jaws, the Parrot is amply provided for by
Nature, and able to maintain itself in plenty.

Perhaps you would like to know how the Par-
rots spend the day when they are at home in
their native forests.

Very early in the morning they rouse them-
selves from sleep, and begin to chatter, and

THE PARROT. 63

scream, and make a great noise. Then they all
fly into the sunshine, and settling on the top of
a tree, begin to dress their plumage, which is
rather damp with the dews of night. They next
look about for their breakfasts ; and this is gene-
rally the wild-cherry, or some other fruit. They
break the stones with their strong bills, and pick
out the kernels and eat them. Then they go in
quest of clear water to bathe in ; and this they
seem to enjoy very much indeed. They roll over
and over, and play about like children on the
edge of the pool, and dip their heads and wings
into the water, so as to scatter it all over their
plumage. By this time the sun is getting hot,
and they retire to the deep recesses of the forest,
where it is always cool and shady. They give
over screaming and chattering, and settle them-
selves on the boughs for a nap. And then the
silence is so deep you might hear a leaf drop to
the ground, although the trees overhead are
crowded with Parrots.

But the stillness only lasts through the noon-
tide heat. In the .evening the Parrots wake up,

64 THE PARROT.

and make as much noise as ever. They sup, as
they breakfasted, upon the kernels of the fruits,
and then go to the water to bathe. Again follows
the business of dressing and pluming their feath-
ers, and after this they go to rest. But they do
not roost in the branches where they took their
afternoon's nap. Their sleeping-room is a hollow
tree, scooped out by the Woodpecker. As many
Parrots get in as the hollow will contain, and the
rest hook themselves to the bark by their claws
and bills, and hang there through the night.

The Parrot lays her eggs in these hollow trees.
She does not make a nest, but lays them on the
rotten wood ; and the whole flock lay their eggs
together in the same tree.

XII.
MORE ABOUT THE PARROT.

is a gift possessed by the Parrot
which makes his society very amusing.
You will guess what I mean. He has
the power of articulating words ; in fact,
he may be taught to speak.

The Parrots do not all possess this faculty.
There is a splendid American Parrot that cannot
be taught to say anything. But a relation of his,
who is dressed in simple gray, can chatter away
famously if he meets with any one to teach him.
He will even appear as if taking the utmost
pains to learn. He listens to his teacher, and
repeats the sentences over and over until he is

(393)

66 MORE ABOUT THE PARROT.

perfect, and can say them correctly. He will
even talk in his sleep.

This power of imitation in the bird is very
curious, if we take the trouble to think about
it. His abode is far away from man, and it is
only by chance that the faculty is awakened.
But there it is, ready to develop itself at any
moment.

The Indians make a trade of catching Parrots.
Most of those you see in England were taken
from the nest, and never knew what it was to be
free. The younger the bird, the easier his edu-
cation will be.

The Indian goes into the forest, and takes
some little arrows with blunt points. He only
wants to stun the birds, and is anxious not to
injure them. He will often try another plan.
He will make a fire under the tree, using for
fuel a plant, the smoke of which has a strong
pungent smell. The poor little birds are stupified
with the smoke, and fall to the ground. Then
the Indian picks them up, and carries them away.

But, now and then, he has rather an unruly cap-

MORE ABOUT THE PARROT. 67

tive. A bird will be sullen, and refuse to eat
or to be taught. The Indian has a sure way of
punishment. He has only to blow a little to-
bacco smoke into the eyes of the Parrot, and it
is enough. The Parrot has such a dislike to the
smell of tobacco, that he will become as docile as
possible.

The Indian will often subject his prisoners to
very curious treatment. He will try to alter the
colour of their plumage, and make it more showy.
There is a Parrot, called the Amazonian Parrot,
that is one of the best talkers in the whole
family. The Indians value him highly, and
try to procure him when he is very young, and
the feathers are only beginning to grow. They
pluck the feathers from the neck and shoulders,
and rub the parts with a colouring substance or
dye, called anatto. The feathers soon grow
again ; but this time, instead of being green,
they are a brilliant red or yellow. In fact, the
green costume is changed for one much more
splendid. But the health of the bird suffers from
the treatment he has received. He is feeble and

68 MORE ABOUT THE PARROT.

melancholy, and without any of the sprightliness
of his race. But the Indian can sell him for a
good sum of money, since the transformed birds
are very rare, and much sought after.

There is but one species of Parrot a native
of the United States. It is called the Carolina
Parrot, and feeds upon a plant called the cockle-
bur. The cockle-bur is as abundant as the
Parrots. It grows in the fields, along the banks
of the great American rivers, and ripens after
the harvest has been gathered in. It grows
so thickly, and the burs stick so fast together,
that a man can scarcely force his way through
them. The burs stick to his clothes, and are very
difficult to rub off. And if the man is on horse-
back, they will cling to the horse's tail, and make
it a tangled mass, so that it has to be cut off.
The poor sheep that chances to stray into one of
these fields is in a sorry plight ; the wool is
literally torn from its back. And the worst of
the matter is, that the cockle -bur does no good
to outweigh all this mischief. It possesses no
valuable property either as food or as medicine.

MORE ABOUT THE PARROT. 69

But when I use the word food, I am forgetting
the Parrots.

The tiresome cockle-burs are a rich harvest on
which the Parrots feed with delight.

The Parrot settles on the plant, and plucks the
great bur from the stem, using his foot as a hand.
He turns the bur about until he gets it in a
right position. Then he strikes and tears it with
his bill, and soon splits it open. He takes out
the contents and eats them, letting the husk drop
on the ground. A flock of Parrots will busy
themselves in this manner until the field is almost
stripped. But, alas ! the cockle-bur is by no
means destroyed. Up it conies the next spring,
as abundant as ever !

Nor can we regard the Parrot as a benefactor.
He is nothing of the kind. He is not content
with usefully feeding on the cockle-bur. He eats
any kind of fruit or of grain that he can get, and
is not particular as to the way he procures it.

When the farmer has stored up his stack of
corn in the field, you would think he had thrown
over it a carpet of brilliant colours. But you

70 MOKE ABOUT THE PARROT.

are mistaken. What looks like a carpet is, in
reality, a flock of Parrots, dressed in their gaudy
plumes. They stick their claws into the sides
of the stack, and hold on while they pick out
the straws and get at the grain. They waste
more than they eat, scattering it on the ground
all round the stack.

They are very fond of fruit, and they do not
wait till it is ripe. They come in the same bril-
liant flocks, and fall, like a sheet of colour, on
the trees in the orchard, while the pears and
apples are young and green. They pick, and
tear, and devour without mercy. They are quite
at their ease on any kind of plant ; for they can
hook, or swing, or clamber, or put themselves in
any posture. The boughs will be full of them,
packed together as closely as possible.

If one of the flock cries out, the rest take
fright and fly away, for they are timid just at
first. They will not come again that day ; but
they will be here again to-morrow ; and do not
quit the orchard until the trees that looked so
fair and flourishing are entirely stripped.

MORE ABOUT THE PARROT. 71

But the farmer is not likely to sit still and
see all this mischief go on under his eyes. He
takes his gun, and walks into the orchard. The
Parrots have overcome their shyness, and are
eagerly devouring the fruit, passing from branch
to branch, too much occupied to notice him.
He begins to shoot, and down drops a Parrot,
its bill full of seeds. The rest of the birds seem
to lose their senses. They scream, and fly round
and round, and are in a great commotion ; but
they never think of leaving the orchard, although
the gun keeps going off every minute. They
return to the fruit, even though their companions
lie dead on the ground. Indeed, the farmer goes
on shooting, until he begins to think he has used
as much powder and shot as he can afford.

XIII.
MALACCA PAKRAKEET.

I HE family of Parrots is a very large one,
and includes a great many species. They
are chiefly confined to warm countries and
the vicinity of the Equator. Here their
gaudy plumage seems in harmony with the bril-
liant and burning sun of the Tropics. But no
rule is without an exception ; and the range of the
Parrots extends farther than was thought. They
have been seen flying before a snow-storm along
the banks of the Ohio, one of the great Ameri-
can rivers ; and Parrots have been met with in
Van Diemen's Land.

Naturalists divide this numerous and wide-

MALACCA PARRAKEET. 73

spread family into groups, and found their divi-
sions on the bill, the tongue, and the feet of the
bird.

The bill is differently shaped according to the
species. It is longer or shorter, or more or less
curved, or its edges are either with or without
notches.

The tongue may be thick and fleshy, or it may
end in a kind of brush, or it may be merely a
hollow and rather horny tube or gland. Some-
times the claws will be short and thick, and the
Parrot can run along the ground, instead of al-
ways climbing.

There is a group of Parrots which are the most
graceful and beautiful of the whole tribe. Their
bodies are of an emerald green, and their bills of
a deep ruby. Round the neck is a rose-coloured
collar. The two middle feathers in the tail reach
to a great length, and are of a beautiful blue.
The bird itself has a moderately sized bill, the
lower mandible short and notched. Its claws are
rather weak and slender ; and it goes by the name
of the Malacca Parrakeet.

74 MALACCA PARRAKEET.

The home of the Parrakeet is in the very heart of
the Tropics — a district or country full of beautiful
birds and radiant insects. I mean the peninsula of
Malacca. There are Trogons, in their rich costume,
and with their crimson breasts. There is the curious
" Rain-bird," clad in black and maroon, and with
white stripes and a bill intensely blue. There are the
Toncans, with their immense bills, which look so
heavy, but in reality are so light, and carried with
such ease. There are brilliant Kingfishers, some
of which dart about like a flame of fire. The
Kingfishers, I must tell you, have some relations
in the islands close by, that are never found near
the water. Two of their tail-feathers are im-
mensely long, and spread out at the end like a
spoon. The birds are called Kinghunters, to dis-
tinguish them from their neighbours that live
upon fish. They do not eat fish, but they feed on
snails and insects. The Kinghunter spies its prey
on the ground, as it sits watching on some branch
of a tree. It gives the same sudden dart or swoop
that the Kingfisher does, and rarely fails of its
object.

MALACCA PARRAKEET. 75

The rarest and most beautiful of the Kinghunters
is called the Racquet-tailed Kingfisher, and lives
in the island of Amboyna. Its red bill and white
breast, and deep purple wings, and blue spots,
give it a lovely appearance. It bears the palin of
beauty even here, where Nature is so profuse of
colour, and seems never weary of decorating bird,
insect, and flower.

Here, too, in Malacca, are found our friends
the Cuckoos, in dresses of green and brown, and
rejoicing in perpetual summer. And in the thickest
part of the forest a Pheasant, called the Great
Argus Pheasant, runs along the ground ; but is
seldom seen, and rarely caught.

XIV.
THE MANCHINEEL NOT POISON TO THE BIRDS.

[HE vast regions of the Tropical forest are
as a storehouse in which Nature prepares
her ingredients for the good or ill of man
— her medicines and her poisons.
Tribes of plants or trees may be called bene-
factors of mankind, such as the bountiful palm,
the banana, and the plantain.

Other families have deadly juices running
through their tissues. They are not calculated to
bless, but to destroy. Some of these dangerous
plants are fair to look upon.

There is a tree which bears a number of bright
red apples. The smell of the apples is very plea-

THE MANCHINEEL NOT POISON TO THE BIRDS. 77

sant, and a little like the perfume of the lemon.
The traveller coming to the tree, weary and thirsty,
might be inclined to pluck the fruit, and to think
himself fortunate in obtaining such a supply of
food. But woe to him if he touches one of those
tempting apples ! He may not know it, but he
has met with the deadliest tree of the Tropics —
the manchineel !

It was once thought that to sleep under the
shadow of the manchineel was fatal, but this is
not the case. Provided the traveller refrains from
eating the fruit, he is safe.

Yet even the fruit is less deadly than the milky
juice that flows from the trunk when an incision
is made. If the juice is swallowed, it destroys life
with a rapidity that is frightful. If it does but
touch the skin, it causes swellings and irritation ;
even the vapour arising from it affects the eyes
and lips.

In the forest are hosts of plants not less dan-
gerous. There is a kind of spurge, the milk of
which, if it get into the eyes, causes blindness.
It owes its name to this circumstance.

78 THE MANCHINEEL NOT POISON TO THE BIRDS.

A sailor was cutting wood in the forest, when
his axe struck, by accident, one of these fatal trees.
The milky juice that started from the wound
touched his eyes, and blinded him.

In the splendour of the forest, amid its glowing
flowers and gorgeous recesses, Death seems thus
to lurk in every form. Man might turn away in
dread, but the bird, on sapphire wing, and with
crest of emerald, plunges amid the poisons of
Nature, and revels in them. These dangerous
shades, where poisonous fruits gleam with a sinister
beauty, are haunted by the birds.

The Parrakeet comes to the manchineel for a
repast. He devours the red apples with impunity ;
nay, he has his home amid the branches. Here is
his nest, and here he rears his brood in health and
vigour.

The poison is not poison to him; it is his natural
food.

XV.
THE RINGED PARRAKEET.

(ERHAPS the most favourite of. our pet
birds is the one in the Picture. You often
see it in a cage. It belongs to a wide-
spread group of the Parrakeet family, and
is called the Ringed Parrakeet. It is found over
a very extensive range of country. You meet
with it in Asia, Africa, and Australia. It is very
beautiful. Its plumage is green, but the feathers
of the head and neck change, as you look at them,
into purple. The body is a brilliant red, and it
has a ring or collar of ruby.

The Ringed Parrakeet is supposed to be the first
of its tribe known to the ancient Greeks.

80 THE RINGED PARRAKEET.

When Alexander the Great went on his Indian
expeditions, he opened the way for many dis-
coveries. The Ringed Parrakeet was soon after
brought to Greece. Like the rest of its tribe, it
has slender feet, which enable it to run along the
ground. It can easily be tamed, and makes a
very delightful pet.

In Australia, Parrots and Parrakeets abound
in great numbers. They are seen flying in bril-
liant clouds from tree to tree, or they will rise up
before you like a sheet of gems or gold, as their
plumage glistens in the sun.

They have as many tricks as the monkeys. A
number of them will sit crowded on a branch,
fluttering and sidling, and eyeing each other in
the drollest manner. And the chattering and the
screaming, and the various noises they make, can
hardly be described. Some of the houses in
Australia have gardens filled with Tropical flowers
and fruits. There is the pomegranate and the
oleander, and many others which are never seen
with us except in a hot-house. And over the
verandah the vine grows in full luxuriance. Tro-

THE RINGED PARRAKEET. 81

pical birds are often kept in the verandah in cages.
Here you see the most lovely Parrakeets. One of
them is called the Painted Lady, and is a native
of Australia.

On each cheek of the bird is a soft crimson spot,
like the delicate bloom on a lady's face. The rest
of the costume is lavender, and the breast is a pale
primrose.

There is a Parrakeet, found in Van Diemen's
Land, which is called the Black-spotted Parrakeet.
Its plumage is green, but the middle tail-feathers
are barred with green and black. The remainder of
the tail-feathers are barred with black and yellow.
Its legs and bill are black. This beautiful and
rare bird is seldom seen. It does not perch on
the trees, like the rest of the Parrots. It lives on
the ground in moist places. When it is alarmed,
it rises up from the grass ; but when the danger is
over, it soon drops down again.

I might mention many beautiful birds of this
family.

There is a superb Parrakeet found in Otaheite,
that wears a dress of entire and vivid blue. An-

(393) (J

82 THE RINGED PARRAKEET.

other, found in India, is of the colour of a peach-
blossom. And there is a red-winged Parrakeet,
with legs and claws of a rich carnation.

Also, as a contrast to these, there is the Black
Parrot, in a costume of bluish-black ; and the
Sapphire Parrot, dressed in green and scarlet, that
lives in the Philippine Islands, and revels in the
juices of the cocoa-nut palm. It makes a nest
of a peculiar construction, and sets about it very
cunningly. Its great enemy is the monkey, that
is always on the look-out for plunder. But the
Parrot is more than a match for him. The monkey
sees the nest hanging from the tree, and makes his
way to it with great glee, thinking to feast on
eggs ; but when he takes hold of the nest, he finds
the lower part not so closely woven as the upper.
It gives way at once, and down falls the robber
before he has done any mischief.

XVI.
BIRDS OF THE SPICE ISLANDS.

>U have heard many times of the Spice
Islands. The name brings with it the
idea of fragrance and of beauty. Here
grow the clove, the cinnamon, the nut-
meg, and all the precious spices of the East.

And here also we come upon a splendid array
of birds and insects, such as are rarely met with
even in the Tropics.

Here the Parrots abound in vast numbers, and
are much sought after. But' the native does not
lay his snare for them in order to teach them to
talk, or to sell them to the European, so much as
for another reason. The small Parrakeets that

84 BIRDS OF THE SPICE ISLANDS.

abound on every hand are a very delicate article
of food. Their flesh tastes of the fragrant berry
or spice on which they feed ; and when they are
plump and in their best condition, the hunter
comes to seek for them.

He walks into some lovely grove or wood where
he knows the Parrakeets abound. At first he
looks about, and is not able to see one of them ;
for their green plumage is too much the colour of
the leafy bower amid which they sit. He can
hear their various noises, but is unable to distin-
guish them. It is not, however, the nature of
these restless birds to remain quiet many minutes.
They soon begin to flutter, and to move from
bough to bough. One reason is, that they have
stripped the branch on which they were sitting of
all its berries, and wish to attack another. The
hunter hears a great moving of wings, and rust-
ling, and flying hither and thither. The birds
have come from their safe canopy of leaves, and
can be seen clearly. This is the moment he has
been waiting for. Off goes his gun, and an un-
lucky Parrakeet is sure to drop to the ground.

BIRDS OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 85

The rest of the birds set up a loud screaming; but
they do not take their departure until one after
another has fallen a victim to the enemy.

Splendid crimson Parrots are found amid
these spicy groves. And here, too, is a family
of birds of the Parrot tribe, which are called
Lories.

The Crimson Lory has plumage of a deep scarlet,
that shines with the utmost richness and beauty.
The Grand Lory is superb in blue and violet ; and
the whole of the tribe vie, in their splendid array,
with the beautiful birds around them.

Like the Parrots, they can talk and chatter
famously when they are taught. The name of
the tribe is " Garrulous."

Here, too, in this land of beautiful birds, are
the most lovely Pigeons you can imagine ; with
brilliant patches of colour on their heads, and
bearing the name of Fruit-eating Pigeons, because
they live on the rich spices of the woods and
groves.

There are Cockatoos without number, and
Kingfishers of wondrous brilliance and beauty.

86 BIRDS OF THE SPICE ISLANDS.

And here, also, is a bird, which, though not so
beautiful as the rest, is so curious that I cannot
pass it over without notice. For we have come
to the home and haunt of the wonderful Mound-
maker, found here in great abundance.

The traveller in his wanderings often comes on
a curious spectacle. He sees a great heap of
rubbish, higher than himself, and about twelve
feet wide. At first he thinks it is the hut of a
native. But as he watches, with some curiosity,
forth steps a bird, a little like a Hen, with brown
feathers, sometimes banded with red, and with
very strong feet and claws.

This is the mound-making bird, a distant rela-
tion of our own barn-door fowl. But it has not
the same habits. It does not choose to sit on its
eggs ; but it makes quite another arrangement.

It lives near the sea-shore, in bushy places
where there is a kind of jungle, and where it can
pick up sticks and sea-weed, and all kinds of rub-
bish from the beach. Of these materials the
birds make their great mound, and bury their
eggs in it. There is a warmth arising from the

BIRDS OF THE SPICE ISLANDS. 87

decaying matter of which the mound is made, and
this is sufficient to hatch the eggs. When the
little ones come out of their shell, they work
their way out of their prison, and run off to the
forest. The natives have a great fancy for the
eggs of the mound-making bird, and are always on
the watch to rob the nest. They know by certain
signs whether the mound is full or empty. If it
is full, they break in and steal its contents.

XVTL
THE LOEIES.

is a family of Parrots found in Aus-
tralia 4hat differ from the rest of the
tribe.

They are called Lorikeets, and you see
one of them in the Picture. They are very hand-
some, as you perceive, and wear a costume of red
and green, and blue and yellow. And they
have the " hooked bill of the Parrot, and cling
to the branches, and climb and swing, as he
does.

But the Lorikeet does not lead exactly the
same life as the Parrot. He does not live on the
same food. Not fruit, but honey tempts him.

THE LORIES. 89

Honey is the chief means of his subsistence, and
he is always in search of it.

His tongue is not like the tongue of the Parrot,
for it is used in a different manner. He does not
want a great fleshy organ to assist in holding and
cracking nuts. He does not eat nuts. He wants
a light, brush-like tongue, covered with bristles to
sweep off the honey ; and therefore Nature has
given him one. Not any of the Parrot tribe
are possessed of the tongue of the Lorikeet, for it
would be useless to them.

The Lorikeet leads a very happy life among the
honied sweets that surround him. Many deli-
cious blossoms abound on every hand. Here are
orange-groves in their full beauty, and the scarlet
flowers of the pomegranate display their stores.
But the Lorikeet delights in those flowers which
grow on the tallest trees ; and there are numbers
of these to be found.

There is the mighty gum-tree, the giant of the
country, that grows to an immense height. And
there is the peppermint-tree, which, at the proper
season, is a mass of blossom. Then myriads of

90 THE LORIES.

birds flock round it to rifle its sweets, and to sport
around them, showering down bunches of flowers
as if in play. The Lorikeet feeds so greedily, and
is so intent on satisfying his hunger, that an
enemy may approach very near without being
perceived. Nay, the fatal gun may be pointed at
him, and yet he will not stir. After he has been
shot, he will yet cling to the branch ; for his claws
have grasped so tightly that they will not all at
once relax their hold.

When he drops to the ground, or is picked from
the bough, his crop is full of honey. The native
is as fond of sweets as the bird is, and he puts the
head of the poor Lorikeet in his mouth, and sucks
the honey out through the beak.

I should tell you that the name Lory has
been given to this tribe of Parrots, because they
have the habit of saying the word " Lory " over
and over again.

XV11I.

THE PRINCE OF THE PARROTS, AND
THE LOVE-BIRDS.

HAVE yet more to say about the Parrots.
There is a bird of the tribe that may be
considered as the prince or emperor of
the whole race. I mean the Macaw. He
is of the family of the Parrots, but he is dis-
tinguished by having no feathers on the sides of
his face. And he has a long tail, almost like a
Peacock's.

He leads very much the same life, among the
boughs and branches of the Tropical forest, that
the Parrots do. But though the plumage of the
Parrot shines and glistens, that of the Macaw is

92 THE PRINCE OF PARROTS, AND THE LOVE-BIRDS.

much more splendid. He is larger than the Parrot,
and the flaming scarlet of his body is more striking.
His wings are red, yellow, blue, and green, — all
blended in the most beautiful manner, and as vivid
as possible. His long, splendid tail-feathers are
scarlet and blue.

The traveller, when he comes in sight of this
magnificent bird, feels compelled to stop and ad-
mire. And the Macaw would be courted and
caressed, like the Parrot, and perhaps have his
place in the houses of the great and the noble, but
for his voice.

His voice is a loud harsh scream, that almost
deafens you, and forces you to keep him at a
distance. The Macaw loves to feed upon the fruit
of the palm-trees. A flock of these splendid birds
will cover the fruit-bearing boughs like a glitter-
ing carpet. The native takes his blow-pipe or his
poisoned arrow, and kills as many of them as he
likes. But their screams and their noise are
scarcely to be borne, and are enough to drive the
enemy away.

Their habits are those of the Parrots. They fly

THE PRINCE OF PARROTS, AND THE LOVE-BIRDS. 93

in flocks, and have their nests in the hollows of
the trees.

"When a flock of some thousand Macaws are
flying in the rays of the setting sun, the sight can
hardly be described. It is like a mantle of flam-
ing red.

The natives take the feathers of the Macaw
to wear as an ornament, and they use the flesh as
food.

As this gorgeous Parrot is the head of his tribe,
so the Love-Bird is the smallest of the family.

He, too, is a kind of Parrot, and the most affec-
tionate of any. The love of the Parrot for his
companions is the best feature in his character.
The Love-Bird possesses this trait in such a de-
gree that he has earned the name of Love-Bird,
from his loving and caressing ways. He tenderly
cherishes his companion during life ; and if be-
reaved, by death, nothing can exceed his grief.
He will pine away, and die.

Nay, if compelled to be alone, he will droop and
decline. He cannot exist without the society of
his fellows.

94 THE PRINCE OF PARROTS, AND THE LOVE-BIRDS.

His plumage gives him a place among the
"beautiful birds." It is green, but touched and
tinted with a deep rich blue. His tail-feathers
are scarlet, with a band of black, and the tip of
the feathers are green. The appearance and
manners of the Love-Birds are very interesting.
They sit close together on a bough, as you see
them do in the Picture, nestling and caressing each
other with the utmost affection.

Their home is in the southern part of Africa ;
but they are much sought after as pets, and are
brought to England as the most elegant ornament
for a lady's boudoir.

XIX.
THE COCKATOO.

J&p

lyJI^jHE Parrot has a number of relations, dis-
tinguished by the elegant head-dress they
wear. This is a crest or tuft of beautiful
feathers, which can be lifted up or allowed
to fall down at pleasure.

These elegant birds are called Cockatoos, and you
see one of them in the Picture. It has its crest set
up, and its feathers are white, with a tinge of red.
The Cockatoos love the damp recesses of the
forest, and, like other beautiful birds, are children
of the Tropics. But, like their relations the Par-
rots, they often do a great deal of mischief. They
are not satisfied with the forest fruits, but come

96 THE COCKATOO.

flying abroad to see what else they can obtain.
The rice-plantations suffer much from their visits.
They come in flocks of eight hundred or more at a
time, and settle on the field. They not only de-
vour the rice, but spoil as much as they eat, break-
ing and tearing everything around them.

The owner of the plantation may well look upon
them as pests, and do all he can to destroy them.
In Australia, the natives often have a day's sport
in hunting the Cockatoos.

The birds fly in flocks along the banks of the
river, and are very shy and easily alarmed. But
the native is skilful and patient, and knows what to
do. First of all, he watches near some stream
until he sees a flock of Cockatoos in the air. Great
trees surround the stream, and here the birds
settle to take their evening's nap.

This matter of going to roost is not to be done
all at once. There is a vast amount of screaming
and fluttering, and flying from tree to tree, before
they settle. The native creeps cautiously along,
making not a sound. He even puts aside his
clothing, lest it should hinder or embarrass him.

THE COCKATOO. 97

He steals from tree to tree, and bush to bush, in
the same noiseless manner ; but, with all his care,
he cannot escape the watchful eye of the sentinel
birds. The flock takes alarm, and flies to the tree
nearest the water, getting close together, and as
if aware that some danger is near.

At length the native comes close to the water's
edge, and the Cockatoos see him plainly. They
utter loud cries, and spring into the air as if to
escape. Now is the time for the native to draw
his kiley, or spear, from his belt. He flings it
with violence, and it flies from his hand as if about
to touch the surface of the water. But it does
not do so. It spins upwards in a wonderful manner,
and darts through the air, making all kinds of turns
and twists, in each of which it is sure to strike a
Cockatoo.

The weapon, when flung in this manner, seems
for the moment to be alive ; and the more the
frightened birds try to escape, the more they seem
to come in its way. Many of them fall with loud
screams to the ground.

But the native is not satisfied. He knows the

(393) 7

98 THE COCKATOO.

habits of the Cockatoo, and that it is most affec-
tionate to its companions. He picks up a wounded
bird, and fastens it to a tree. He is certain what
will happen. When the birds that have flown off
hear the piteous cries of their friend, they come
back to see what is the matter.

Then again flies the terrible kiley, and one at
least of the birds pays for its friendship with its
life. I must tell you that the Cockatoos in Aus-
tralia make their nests in the decayed boughs of
trees. The mother-bird lays two eggs, of pure
white. Under the tree there is generally to be
seen a heap of bark, split up into shreds. The
old birds have gathered twigs from the neighbour-
ing trees for their young, stripped off the bark,
and let the shreds fall on the ground.

This is rather an unlucky habit. The native is
fond of young Cockatoos, and thinks them a delicate
dish. He comes prowling about to find the nest,
and the little heap of bark is sure to point out the
spot.

XX.

THE PINK COCKATOO AND THE GEEAT BLACK
COCKATOO.

Cockatoo is usually robed in white,
with a rosy tint. But there is an excep-
tion to every rule. The bird in the Pic-
ture has, as you see, a coloured crest of
red and yellow. He is called the Tricolor-
crested Cockatoo, and also the Pink Cockatoo.
When his crest is set up it is very beautiful, and
looks like rays of crimson, white, and gold.

But he has a relation that is far more wonder-
ful and more rare than he is. I mean the Great
Black Cockatoo. He is the exception I spoke of.

100 THE PINK AND GREAT BLACK COCKATOOS.

Amid the white-robed, rosy-tinted family, he
alone is dressed in sable plumage.

He is found in Australia, the land of Cockatoos,
and also in the Aru Islands, the home, as you
know, of the Birds of Paradise.

His body is weak and small, and his legs are
feeble. But his wings are large, and he has a
monstrous head, with a splendid crest of black
feathers. His cheeks are a livid red, and he has
a strong sharp bill, that is capable of any amount
of work.

He does not make a screaming noise, like the
rest of his tribe, but he has a low, plaintive
whistle. His tongue is a deep red colour, and is
like a tube with a curious horny plate at the end
of it. He can stretch or thrust out his tongue to
some distance, and is altogether the most curious
specimen of his race.

In Australia, the Black Cockatoos will settle
now and then on one of the great gum-trees I
have spoken about. There they sidle up and
down the branches, after the true Parrot fashion,
and move their handsome top-knots up and down,

THE PINK AND GREAT BLACK COCKATOOS. 101

as if bowing to each other. But they are not
very common; indeed, the Black Cockatoo is con-
sidered a rare bird, like a neighbour of his, also
found in Australia — the Black Swan.

In the forests of the Aru Islands, the Black
Cockatoo is more frequently seen alone, or with
one or two companions. His flight is slow
and noiseless, and he dies from a very slight
wound. He feeds upon the forest nuts, and the
fruits and seeds that abound on every hand.
But he has one favourite article of food, — the
seeds of the kanary-nut. These nuts grow on
a lofty tree, and have a smooth shell, as hard as
iron.

The Cockatoo takes the nut, which is of a three-
cornered shape, in his bill, and holds it fast by
means of his tongue, while he saws a slit with the
lower part of his bill. Then he takes the nut
with his foot and bites off part of a leaf. The
leaf is to keep the very smooth shell from slipping
about, while he inserts into it the sharp point of
his bill, and picks out the kernel bit by bit with
his tongue.

102 THE PINK AND GREAT BLACK COCKATOOS.

No other bird could master such a shell ; but
the strength and cunning of the Black Cockatoo
open the storehouse of food that is fast locked
from the rest of the birds.

THE TROGON.

the sunny regions of the Tropics, Nature
seems to preserve her freshness and
beauty without interruption, There are
no chilling winds or nipping frosts to
scatter the foliage of the forest. As one leaf
withers, another takes its place, so that the green
canopy is always full and compact. There u
neither autumn nor winter, but perpetual summer
reigns.

In some parts of South America, unbroken
forest extends for an immense distance. Brooks
and streams run hither and thither in the deep
recesses, and are bridged over by Nature with the

104 THE TROGON.

trunks of trees that have fallen across by accident.
The ground is covered with a dense carpet of moss
and of decaying leaves, that have lain there undis-
turbed for centuries. The forest fruits lie scat-
tered in profusion. Here and there you would
see what appears to be a wooden cup or vessel.
At the top of the cup is a hole, into which a round
lid fits with exactness. The cup grew on one of
the loftiest trees of the forest. It contained some
nuts, that in process of time became too heavy
to remain suspended. Then the lid of the cup
loosened itself, and the cup, large and heavy as it
was, fell to the ground with a crash. The nuts
were scattered far and wide, and many of them
served as food for the wild beasts of the forest.
The great empty cup goes by the name of the
Monkey's Drinking-Cup, and is quite a curiosity.

There is another tree which bears a cup, without
a lid. In this instance the nuts fall to the ground
entire, and are not scattered. Many of them are
brought to England, and you have often seen
them. They are called Brazil-nuts. The natives
pick them up, and bring them to the market for

THE TROGON. 105

sale. The trees I have just mentioned are very
lofty ; but here and there in these deep forests
you meet with giants. A mighty trunk will tower
up, of a size and thickness that can scarcely be
believed. This giant trunk takes up a vast space
of ground. It will be sixty feet in circumference,
and a hundred feet in height.

Like a vast dome, its mighty branches stretch
themselves abroad, — the dome of some cathedral
built by the hand of Nature.

Silence reigns at times in the forest depths, a
silence that becomes oppressive. There is no
note of bird or of insect, and the feeling is of utter
solitude and isolation. But the forest sounds are
only suspended ; they have not ceased. Presently
a wild yell or scream will startle the forest echoes.
A smaller animal has fallen a prey to a larger one,
and is uttering its death-cry; or there will be a
crash that resounds far and wide with a deafen-
ing noise. Some mighty bough, long since de-
cayed, or some tree, has fallen prone on the earth.
At intervals, the howling monkeys will burst out
with a chorus of unearthly and discordant noises

106 THE TROGON.

that cannot be described. And many sounds be-
sides come up from the forest depths that cannot
very well be explained, and the Indian tells you
they are made by the wild man of the woods — a
creature like a monkey, and that lives in the trees.

He will even be afraid to venture far, lest he
should meet with this imaginary being.

I have brought you to this part of the world to
show you a beautiful bird called the Trogon.
Here he is in the Picture, with his splendid green
plumage and crimson breast.

His foot is, as you see, like that of the Parrot,
and he clasps the branch on which he is sitting, as
the Parrot does. His bill is stout and strong, and
has saw-like edges. His beautiful plume of loose
waving feathers — white, and black, and green —
delights the eye.

But his wings, though so beautiful, are feeble.
He does not keep on the wing, nor has he the
agility of the Parrot. He sits quietly on some
low branch in the gloomy shades of the forest,
eyeing the tempting fruit around him. The effort
to obtain it is more than he likes ; but presently,

THE TROGON. 107

as if impelled by hunger, he makes a dart, seizes
it, and conveys it to the branch, where he again
settles himself while he is eating it.

After a long pause he repeats the effort, and
so by degrees satisfies his hunger.

He is very solitary and rather mournful in his
habits. Now and then he utters a plaintive cry ;
but his greatest pleasure seems to be in dozing
lazily on his branch. He dozes sometimes a little
too long, for a passer-by, if there be one in so
remote a spot, will knock him off his perch and
carry him away captive.

You must not think that the Trogon lives only
on fruit. He has no objection to insects, and
watches them, as they flit about, in the same grave
and solemn manner.

By-and-by he bestirs himself, and darts after
them with surprising agility. But he will be sure
very soon to return to his perch. He cannot fly
far ; his flowing plumes impede his progress. He
will, however, migrate from one part of the coun-
try to the other. He arrives at the end of his
journey when some particular fruit is ripe of which

108 THE TKOGON.

he is fond. He remains till the fruit is over, and
then goes back again.

The mother Trogon makes her nest in some
decayed tree, as the Parrot does. The eggs lie on
a bed of sawdust, made by one of the forest ants.
Indeed, the Trogon often takes possession of the
ant's nest, and enlarges it and adapts it for her
own purpose.

A Trogon has been seen clinging to the bark of
a tree, after the fashion of the Woodpecker,
digging all the time with his bill, while his part-
ner sat by, watching him as quietly as possible.

XXII.
THE KING'S BIRDS.

"E Trogon has some relations in India that
have smooth bills, with no saw-like notches
upon them. But near the tip of the upper
part of the beak is a kind of hook.
All round the eye there is a bare space without
feathers, but of a rich colour ; and the plumage of
the tail is not barred with black and white, like
the bird you see in the Picture.

The bird in the Picture lives in Mexico, and is
arrayed in a most gorgeous manner. Among the
Humming-Birds and brilliant creatures in that
Tropical land, he shines and glistens with surpass-
ing beauty.

110 THE KING'S BIRDS.

The lustre of his green plumes can hardly be
described, and under his body is a vivid sheet of
scarlet. Round his neck is a white ring, and his
tail-feathers are barred with black and white and
green.

Like the rest of his tribe, he is not often seen.
He loves to hide in some deep, cool recess, where
he watches patiently for his prey. His food con-
sists both of fruit and of insects, which he catches
with his bill.

He has a relation that prefers the fruits to the
insects. This splendid bird is the most magni-
ficent of the whole family, and well deserves his
name — the Resplendent Trogon.

There he is in the Picture, in his full beauty,
sitting on the branch, which he clasps with his
feet. His costume is a golden-green, more beau-
tiful than you can imagine, and the scarlet of his
breast is dazzling. Do you notice the length of
his tail-feathers, and the curve they make, and the
white and black bars which appear under the long
sweeping plumes ?

Age after age these superb creatures of the

THE KING S BIKDS. Ill

forest have lived in successive generations in the
Tropical and flowery land of Mexico. Long time
ago Mexico was a kingdom ruled by its own
monarch, and rich in gold and silver and precious
stones. In those days the palace of the sovereign
might almost be called a palace of gold ; and the
pomp and splendour of the court baffled descrip-
tion. But perhaps the fairest and loveliest among
the palace possessions was the collection of beauti-
ful birds kept there in all their living splendour.

The king had two great houses fitted up for
this purpose, and the utmost pains and care were
taken to supply the captives with food and every
necessary. A staff of attendants was employed to
watch over them ; and you will smile when I tell
you that a number of doctors were always at hand
to give advice or medicine in case the birds were
sick.

A brilliant assembly indeed were the birds.
Here were Trogons, Humming-Birds, Parrots,
Pigeons, and Sun-Birds. And here, distinct from
these, were all the birds of prey and the water-
fowl, and every feathered creature that could be

112 THE KING'S BIRDS.

procured ; so that the Spaniards, we are told, were
astonished and full of admiration at the sight.
But not only the sight of the birds was marvel-
lous ; the use made of their feathers was equally
curious and wonderful.

The ancient Mexicans thought no costume so
lovely as that worn by the birds, and they took
the gorgeous feathers and lovely plumes and wove
them into mantles and stuffs, and all kinds of
dresses, mixing the feathers with gold and silver.

The monarch himself chose the resplendent
plumes of the Trogon for a head-dress. So highly
were they esteemed in those days, that no one,
except he was of the blood-royal, was permitted
to wear them.

Persons were appointed on purpose to look after
the feathers of the King's Birds. And it was their
office to pluck them, and also to weave them into
the rich mantles and shining costumes worn by the
grandees of the nation.

XXIII.
THE BELL-BIRD.

[HE great Tropical forest, with its wonder-
ful array of trees, and plants, and living
creatures, has been the favourite spot
where we have come to look for the beau-
tiful birds. But at times the traveller may look
for them in vain. They seem to have taken their
departure, and silence reigns in bush and tree.
This does not last for long. All at once the bird
life begins again with its usual activity. Tree and
bush swarm with birds of the most brilliant cos-
tume. The Tanagers perch and climb gaily as
ever. The solemn Trogon appears in his resplen-
dent plumes seated on some branch in silent ma-

(393) 8

114 THE BELL-BIKD.

jesty. The Humming-Birds flash, and dart, and
sparkle, with all the brilliance and beauty of the
Tropics. The deserted spot will be a scene of
loveliness and of activity. Among the bevy of
beautiful birds now swarming around us, there
are some adorned with the utmost splendour, and
which we have not yet noticed. They cannot
live except under the full heat of the Tropics.
The moist, hot parts of the forest are their home ;
and here they are seen shining in tints and hues
that delight the eye of the traveller. One is
dressed in the most vivid scarlet, another in blue
and violet, a third wears a costume of varied
colours harmoniously blended. They do not asso-
ciate in flocks, but you catch sight of each one,
apart from his companions, in the foliage of some
shadowy tree, or by some creek or stream ; for
they delight in the water. Their food is the
never-failing fruit of the forest, and their size is
that of a small Pigeon. They are called Cotingas.
The Cotinga has no song. Among the forest's
notes and sounds he is mute ; the gift of music
has not been bestowed upon him. But in the early

THE BELL-BIRD. 115

morning, or in the hush of noontide, the traveller
may chance to hear a deep full toll, like the sound
of a bell. He listens, and again he hears it, loud,
clear, and distinct. Then he knows that some
three miles distant, on the top of a lofty tree, the
wonderful Bell-Bird is sitting. He is related to
the brilliant Cotingas, but very unlike them.
His plumage is snow-white, and he is about the
size of a Jay. On his forehead, and growing from
it, is a spiral tube about three inches long. When
the bird is alarmed, the tube fills with air, and
stands up like a horn. At other times it hangs
down.

The Bell-Bird is called by another name. The
Spaniards speak of him as the Campanero. His
place of abode is South America, and his habits
and the mode of building his nest are not known.

The brilliant family of Cotingas are not noticed
in any way by their curious relation. He is never
seen with them, and might belong to a distinct
tribe.

XXIV.
THE PARADISE FLY-CATCHER

[HERE is a bird which comes and goes
every summer, and is a bird of passage,
like the Swallow and the Cuckoo.

It is not very common, but is more
often seen in the northern counties of England
than in any other part of our island. When
August comes, and while the winter is yet a great
way off, it takes its departure. The colours it
wears are white, and brown, and gray. It has not
the radiant hues of the Tropics, and yet it belongs
to a Tropical family. We call it the Fly-catcher.
Its relations are scattered far and wide. One
of them is found as far north as Siberia and

THE PAEADISE FLY-CATCHER. 117

Kamtschatka, and is called the Dun Fly-catcher.
But, as a rule, the Fly-catchers inhabit the warmer
parts of the globe ; and, like the beautiful birds
we have been describing, they revel under the
burning sun of the Tropics.

They are called Tyrants ; and the group they
belong to is termed Tyranninae. This is because
of their fierce and combative temper, which, as we
shall see presently, causes them to tyrannize over
birds much larger than themselves.

The bird in the Picture goes by the name of
the Paradise Fly-catcher. He wears a green crest,
while his bill is of a deep blue. The feathers of
his head are green, and his body is white and gray.
He has a wedge-shaped tail, and the two middle
feathers are, as you see, of a great length. He
lives in very hot countries, in India and in Africa.

In India the traveller will often come on a dense
thicket of bamboo ; for the bamboo, though really
a grass, will grow to the size of a magnificent tree.
It shoots up in clumps or clusters, rising to the
height of eighty or a hundred feet. The stem is
hollow, and at intervals forms the same knots or

118 THE PARADISE FLY-CATCHER.

joints that are found in the grasses. From each
joint springs a set of branches, which strike out
at right-angles to the stem ; and these divide into
others, and so on, until the last branch ends in a
leaf. In the thicket I am describing all these
different branches form a compact mass, crossing
and recrossing each other, like a gigantic piece of
net-work. At the top of the stem, there droop
gracefully over, the lovely plumes of the bamboo,
which are of the brightest green, and curl like
feathers.

A forest of bamboo is one of the most wonder-
ful sights in nature.

The Indian uses the bamboo for every purpose.
He makes his house, his bows and arrows, his
furniture, all his possessions, in fact, of bamboo.
And the glorious thicket of bamboo is like a vast
awning for the beautiful birds of the Tropics.
Under its deep cool shadow they can live and
rejoice.

The Paradise Fly-catchers make their home
here, as in a bower.

They feed on the insects that abound on every

THE PARADISE FLY-CATCHER. 119

hand. The bird perches on some lofty branch,
and watches patiently till its prey shall appear in
sight. Presently some insect, perhaps a gorgeous
butterfly, or one of the numerous insects of the
forest, comes fluttering by. Then the Fly-catcher
makes a sudden swoop, and you hear, a moment
after, a sharp snap with its beak. You know then
that the poor insect is seized and devoured, and
the Tyrant is on the watch for another. Some-
times it will hunt on the branch for the beetles
or ants that may be crawling about, and pick
them off with its bill.

It is not always content with its leafy home- of
bamboo. It will visit the gardens, and shrubberies,
and plantations, in search of prey ; and having
made a circuit, come back again. There are
numbers of Fly-catchers, of different names, and
wearing different costumes.

In the Tropical parts of America they swarm
in great numbers, as the Sparrows do with us.
The trees are full of them, each bird intent on its
own business of darting after insects, and taking
little notice of its companions. At one season the

120 THE PARADISE FLY-CATCHER.

great mounds of earth made by the ants send out
colonies of winged ants. Then the Fly-catchers
come prepared for a banquet, and assemble in
thousands.

They do not always content themselves with
insects ; the larger species of birds will even feed
on fish. A gentleman was once sitting at his
window, and he heard a splash in a lake close by.
Looking out, he spied a Fly-catcher perched on a
dead branch which overhung the water. A mo-
ment after, he saw the bird give a plunge, in the
same manner as the Kingfisher does. Then it
rose again to its branch, and sat, as if drying its
feathers. The gentleman watched intently, and
he saw the bird dive again into the water, and
bring up a tiny fish, just after the manner of the
Kingfisher. The dart was made with the rapidity
of lightning, and then the bird sat on the branch,
as if to allow its feathers to dry.

The Fly-catcher has even been suspected of de-
vouring small animals, for a lizard was once found
in its stomach.

XXV.
THE KING-BIRD.

[NE of the Fly-catchers goes fry the name
of the King-Bird. This title has been
given to him because of his behaviour all
the time his mate is sitting on her eggs.
At this season, his life is one series of fierce
battles and quarrels. He quarrels with every
bird that ventures near to his nest, and darting
out, gives instant battle.

It matters not to what species the bird belongs.
Hawks, Crows, even the Eagle himself is cer-
tain to be attacked. And such is the valour of
the King- Bird, that he is sure to be the victor.
The moment he catches sight of his enemy,

122 THE KING-BIRD.

out he sallies, and rises high in the air. Then he
drops suddenly down on the Eagle's back.

The royal bird, surprised to find himself thus
attacked, makes efforts to get rid of the burden.
He wheels about, and tries by turns and swoops
to shake off his rider. But the Fly-catcher sits
firm, and rises only to descend again with greater
violence. By his shrill cries and tormenting
attacks he drives the Eagle far away from the
nest.

The birds cannot be expected to feel any great
liking for such a resolute little tyrant. The King-
Bird is not at all popular among his feathered
companions ; and now and then the tables are
turned.

There is a pretty kind of Swallow, called the
Purple Martin, that is a match for him. The
wings of the Martin can bear him farther, and
are stronger and swifter, than those of the Fly-
catcher. He can elude all his attacks, and curve,
and sweep, or dart, keeping safe out of his way,
and yet provoking him into a rage.

A pair of Martins once built in the same tree

THE KING-BIRD. 123

on which a pair of King-Birds were rearing their
young. As might be supposed, the battles be-
tween the two families were endless. No sooner
had the mother Fly-catcher begun to sit upon
her eggs than the Martin attacked her mate with
great violence. The King-Bird fought with his
usual bravery, and the conflict lasted for several
days. At last, the poor King-Bird was struck
to the ground so many times, and with such force,
that he died. Then it was an easy matter to
drive away his forlorn partner, and the Martins
had the tree to themselves.

The Great Red-headed Woodpecker does not
tamely submit to the violence of the King-Bird.
On the contrary, he amuses himself by teasing
him, and playing a kind of bo-peep round the
trunk of a tree near to the place where the nest
is situated, and where the Woodpecker is search-
ing for insects.

Out darts the furious King-Bird ; but the
Woodpecker is far too nimble. He disappears
behind the trunk in- a minute. But when the
baffled King-Bird has returned to his nest, back

124 THE KING-BIKD.

comes the Woodpecker; and his great red head
plays bo-peep again, as if it were the greatest
fun possible.

All the fury of the King-Bird is put on while
the young ones are in the nest, and in order to
protect them from danger. When the young
birds are fledged, and there is no more occasion
to fight, he becomes mild and gentle, and declines
any further combats.

He is exceedingly fond of honey, and does a
great deal of mischief among the bee-hives. He
goes into some garden where there is a row of
hives. Then he plants himself on the fence, or
on the branch of a tree. The poor bees are as
busy as usual, collecting their golden stores ; and
they come humming by, never suspecting any
danger. But out darts the King- Bird, and seizes
one of them in his bill. He does so every in-
stant, and puts numbers of bees to death. Then
he even seizes on their golden stores of honey.

The Fly-catchers appear in the United States
of America early in the spring, intending to pass
the summer there. They have had a long jour-

THE KING-BIRD. 125

ney from the more Tropical regions, and seem at
first rather fatigued, and utter no sound or note.
But they soon recover themselves, and make a
sharp, tremulous cry, which is heard in the fields
and woods.

They do not like the deep shades of the forest,
but choose orchards, or sweet-smelling clover-
fields, or even gardens, close by the dwellings of
man, and where insects abofand.

When they have chosen their partners, they set
about building the nest.

They make choice of a branch that shoots out
in a convenient manner from the tree. Then they
pick up a few twigs to fix upon it, and make a
beginning. Next, they fly about seeking for bits
of hemp, or wool, or cotton, or whatever they
can find ; and they are not particular where they
get it from.

They place it in thick layers or rows, and make
a good strong fabric. They line the nest with
hair or fibrous roots ; and when it is finished, the
mother-bird lays her eggs.

Then her partner begins to keep watch, and to

126 THE KING-BIRD.

fight all those furious battles we have been de-
scribing.

If you would like to have some idea of his
appearance, and the costume he wears, I can tell
you. His costume is soft and glossy, and the
upper part is of a bluish-gray. His tail is black,
tipped with white. There is a bright flame-
coloured patch on his head, that looks very gay;
and his breast is white.

He has a curious manner of flying. As he
moves slowly over the field, he makes a vibration
with his wings in the same manner as the Hawk
does.

Sometimes he hovers like the Hawk, or he dives
down to the rich blossoms of the clover, as if to
sip their sweetness. Then he ascends, snapping
his bill, and making graceful curves in the air,
as he darts after various insects.

Sometimes he takes his stand on a tall weed,
near which cattle are grazing. Then he waits
patiently, his eye following the movements of
the troublesome flies that come to attack the herd.

All at once he sees a fly that looks very tempt-

THE KING-BIRD. 127

ing. He makes a dart, and secures it. Then he
returns to the same spot to watch for more.

In the beginning of the autumn, while the
weather is yet warm, the Fly-catchers form them-
selves into groups, and fly silently and in the
night to some spot where the winter cannot come.

The young birds, who are now in full plumage,
join the party. But they meet with enemies on
their track. The flesh of the bird is esteemed
by many persons as a delicacy; and they are
shot down as they fly.

XXVL
THE STRANGE EGG IN THE NEST.

have not quite done with the Fly-
catchers. They are too numerous a
family to be dismissed without a little
farther notice.
There is the Great Crested Fly-catcher, that
lives in the woods, and has no powers of song,
but makes a harsh squeak. Now and then, he
visits the orchards, and comes in search of the
bees in the garden. But he is not fond of fight-
ing, nor has he the courage of his relation the
King-Bird.

He feeds as much on berries as on insects ;
and he makes his nest in the hollow of a tree,

THE STRANGE EGG IN THE NEST. 129

where a Woodpecker has once lived. The ma-
terials for the nest are very scanty. But, mixed
with them, is always a piece of snake-skin,
cast off by the reptile when he changes his coat,
and which is readily met with in the forest.
The nest has never been seen without it ; and
it forms a soft, silky bed for the young to lie
upon. It has even been thought that the sight
of the snake-skin coiled round the nest may have
the effect of driving awTay intruders.

The most welcome of all the Fly-catchers is
a bird called the Peewit.

When the Peewit is heard to utter his note,
the gardener may begin to plant his peas and
beans, and to sow his onions and radishes. The
cold weather is sure to be over then.

The Peewit loves to haunt streams and rivers,
and to build his nest under the arch of a bridge
or in a cave. The nest is made of mud mixed
with wax, and is lined with hair and with flax.
He will sit on some twig close by, while the
young are being hatched, and utter his peculiar
cry of " Pee-wit, pee-wit."

(393; 9

130 THE STRANGE EGG IN THE NEST.

His note has no music in it, and yet it always
gladdens the ear. Like the note of the Cuckoo
in England, it is associated with the bright days
of spring, and the opening flowers.

In the middle of the summer his song partly
ceases, In the autumn he gives a few notes
by way of farewell, and then retreats before the
winter.

The Peewit wears a loose crest on his head,
and his wings and tail are of a dusky hue. The
lower part of his body is of a pale yellow,- and
his legs and bill are black.

He has a neighbour, called the Wood Peewit,
that lives in the gloomy shades of the woods,
and chooses some spot where the trees are de-
caying, and great dead branches shoot across
the path.

He is a very clever Fly-catcher. He sits on
the high dead bough of some tree, uttering a
plaintive note. Now and then he gives a dart
or sweep after some insect that happens to come
near.

Though lie loves the forest, he will often ven-

THE STRANGE EGG IN THE NEST. 131

ture to the city, and carry on his fly-catching
business close to the houses and gardens.

The smallest of the Fly-catchers is not much
bigger than the Humming-Bird ; and it is one
of the nurses chosen by a bird called the Cow-
Bunting to bring up her offspring.

The Cow-Bunting has very much the habits
of the Cuckoo. For some reason or other, which
no one can yet understand, she does not make a
nest, or hatch her eggs. But she fixes on a few
of her neighbours', and goes from nest to nest,
dropping an egg in each. The movements of the
Cow-Bunting have been closely watched by the
naturalist. He has seen her flit from bush to
bush, and copse to copse, seeking the nests suit-
able for her purpose.

You would not suppose the nest of the little
Fly-catcher would be strong enough to hold the
egg. The materials are of the most fragile kind
—a few old leaf-stalks, a withered blossom or two,
and the stem of a fern, covered over with dry
lichen, and lined with horse-hair. This is all.

The nest itself is placed on the branch of a

132 THE STRANGE EGG IN THE NEST.

tree, and seems scarcely large enough to contain
its owner. But the Cow-Bunting approaches,
drops her egg into the frail habitation, and de-
parts.

The tiny Fly-catchers, returning from their
hunt after insects — a hunt carried on from the
tops of the tallest trees — find the egg in the nest.
They are for a little time rather excited ; but
they allow the egg to remain. Nay, the little
Fly-catcher hatches and brings up the young
Cow- Bunting.

In the meantime, her own eggs have disap-
peared. This is always the case when the strange
egg has been dropped into the nest. The eggs
of the foster-parents vanish before it, and no one
has yet found out what becomes of them.

XXVII.
SUN-BIRDS.

[HE Sun-Birds have been called by old
writers the Humming-Birds of Africa.

Africa is the home of a vast variety of
these beautiful birds. They are distin-
guished from each other by many marks and
signs, pointing out the different species. But in
all instances the plumage is brilliant, and the
under surface of the body is adorned with bands
or stripes of colour.

The name of the family is Nectarinidce, and
has been given them from their habit of sipping
the nectar of flowers ; indeed, they were once
supposed to live entirely on honey. But this

134 SUN-BIKDS.

is not the case, since insects form part of their
diet.

The other title of " Sun-Bird " has been given
to this radiant little creature because of the won-
derful effect of the sunlight on its feathers.

They change colour every moment, and flash
and sparkle in a manner not to be described.
This effect is produced by the bird itself. It has
the power of changing the position of its feathers
by a movement of its muscles, and so throwing
them into a different light, or exhibiting a portion
of the surface hitherto concealed.

The Sun-Bird does not feed on the wing, or
hover over the flower, as the Humming- Bird does.
It settles on the petals, and puts in its long bill ;
or it clambers about and suspends itself in the
attitude most favourable for getting access to the
flower. The bill has some tiny notches or teeth,
so small that they cannot be seen except through
a microscope. This shows that the prey has to
be seized and held, and that the bird does not feed
entirely on honey. It is true that the long beak
is plunged into the chalice of the flower, as into a

SUN-BIRDS. 135

goblet of honey ; but the bird pecks out the insects
found therein, and banquets on them as well as on
the juices of the flower. Sometimes, indeed, the
Sun-Bird is seen clambering about the leaves and
branches of the dwarf trees and the brushwood.
There no honey can be found, and the sole object
of the search is for insects.

As the bird passes from flower to flower, it
utters a shrill, impatient cry. But when it is
warbling to its mate, its note will be sweet and
pleasant. But it is so low, that unless you stood
under the tree where the bird was perching, you
could not hear its song.

The Sun-Bird makes her nest of the down of
plants mixed with a few dead leaves, and the
outside wall is all of moss. It looks, when it is
finished, like a little ball, rather pointed at the
bottom ; and the bird makes a cover for it, like a
hood, that hides the hole where she enters, and
prevents it being seen.

Sometimes she will build her nest in the hollow
of a tree, or else suspend it to a twig, and let it
hang in the air, as the Tailor-Bird does.

136 SUN-BIRDS.

And — what you will think very strange — she
has even been known to fix it to a spider's web !
The spiders that live in hot countries are very
large and strong, and their webs are more like
gauze than cobwebs. So the tiny nest of the
Sun-Bird, as light as a feather, may very well be
fixed to one of them without breaking the threads.

Nothing can be more gaudy than these brilliant
little creatures, that sport about with the gaily-
dressed birds of the Tropics. And, like most
other birds, they put on their best attire at that
season of the year when they choose their partners,
and begin to think of building their nests. Then
their brightest tints are worn, and they are orna-
mented with tufts and crests that afterwards dis-
appear. Indeed, on this occasion they are said
to wear " their wedding-dress."

XXVIIL
THE COLLAEED SUN-BIKD.

!E bird in the Picture is one of the most

lovely specimens of its race.

It is called the Collared Sun-Bird,

and lives near the Cape of Good Hope.
Very little is known of its habits ; but it is sup-
posed to build in the hollows of trees, or, where
the country is more open, in some bush or shrub.

It is a creature of exquisite beauty. The
golden - green of its plumage changes every
moment you behold it. Under the green of the
breast is a band of steel-blue, and then a band of
glowing crimson. On either side of the crimson
band or stripe is a tuft of bright yellow feathers.

138 THE COLLARED SUN- BIRD.

The wings are glossed with green, and the upper
feathers of the tail are violet. You can scarcely
imagine the effect produced by a number of these
gorgeous birds, as they sit perched on the petals
of some brilliant spike of flowers, or as they
glitter and sparkle in the sun. There is a relation
of the Collared Sun- Bird that is, if possible, more
magnificent. It is called the Double -collared
Sun-Bird, and is much larger than the bird we
have been describing. It has the same arrange-
ment of colours, but the blue band is of a deeper
tint, and the crimson stripe is broader. It lives
in Africa, and chooses the forests that clothe the
eastern side of the continent. Now and then, it
descends into the plains, but it makes its nest in
the hollow of some forest tree ; and the mother-
bird lays four or five eggs.

There is still another Collared Sun-Bird, a
dried specimen of which has been brought to
England. It is so much like the bird in the
Picture, that for a long time the two were thought
to be the same.

The only difference between them is, that in

THE COLLARED SUN-BIRD. 139

the bird of which I am speaking the wings and
tail are smaller, and the beautiful collar of blue is
wanting. The upper feathers of the tail are of
the same brilliant green as the head and back,
instead of being violet. This beautiful bird is
found in Africa, near the river Niger.

Nothing can exceed the grandeur of the Afri-
can trees. Some of them are of a gigantic size,
and have existed for ages.

One of these trees, vast as it is, belongs to the
same family as the mallow and the hollyhock,
and has the same mild juices.

The African gathers the leaves, and when he
has dried and pounded them, mixes the powder
with his food. He also makes a strong cordage
of the fibres of the bark.

The baobab, or monkey-bread tree, as it is
called, will often be stripped of its bark to a con-
siderable distance up the stem. But this seems
not to harm the tree, and merely causes it to
throw out a new bark.

As the baobab begins to decay, the hollow
space in the trunk fills with water, that is pro-

140 THE COLLARED SUN-BIRD.

tected from the sun, and keeps cool and fresh for
a long time.

The natives come to this supply as to a foun-
tain. They sometimes bring buckets made of
leather, and, climbing the tree, let down a bucket
and draw as much as they require.

This is not the only use made of the baobab.

In some of the African villages, the hollow
trunk of the giant tree has a doorway rudely cut
into it ; and is thus made into a vast room, in
which the chiefs and principal people of the tribe
can meet to 'discuss matters of business.

The baobab, vast as it is in circumference, does
not grow to any great height. It seldom grows
higher than sixty feet. It bears a quantity of
fruit ; each fruit hangs from, a long stalk, and is
the size and shape of a cucumber.

The monkeys love the fruit, and devour it
greedily. This is why the tree has been called
the monkey-bread tree.

XXIX.
AFRICAN SUN-BIRDS.

Cape of Good Hope and the southern
parts of Africa are the favourite abode
of many gem-like birds that adorn the
groves and gardens.
Here they find every sweet they can desire.
The rare plants seen in our hot-houses, and the
rich exotic flowers that we admire so much, have
most of them been brought from Africa.

Turn where we will, in those favoured spots
some flower or blossom meets oui4 gaze.

Here are all the families of lilies, painted with
the gayest colours, and countless as the sand upon
the sea-shore.

^42 AFKICAN SUN-BIKDS.

Mingling with them is the grotesque orchis,
with its bee or bird-like flower, and which covers
the meadows, and reaches even to the foot of the
mountains. Geraniums of every size and colour
grow like weeds, and roses are in the same pro-
fusion.

Many of the plants and shrubs yield a sweet
and sugary juice. The very gum of the branches
is sweet, and in some species can be used as sugar-
candy. The natives break it off and eat it.

The Sun-Bird is very fond of a tree called by
the natives the sugar-tree, because at the bottom
of the flowers it is sure to find a quantity of
sugary juice. People gather the flowers of the
sugar-tree, and boil down the juice, and use it, as
we do sugar, for preserving fruit.

Numbers of little Sun-Birds are always to be
seen perched upon the flowers, sipping honey, or
making havoc among the insects who, like them-
selves, are fond of sugar.

And in less fertile spots — -even in the waste
places with which Africa abounds — many curious
plants contrive to exist. One of these plants has

AFRICAN SUN-BIRDS. 143

great fleshy stems, and flowers that look a little
like a star-fish. The smell of the flowers is by no
means fragrant. It resembles the odour of decay-
ing meat; and on that account the flower is called
"the carrion-flower."

Here, too, growing everywhere, is the fig-
marigold, with its bright-coloured petals, and its
roots that can not only hold fast to the shifting
sand, but draw nourishment from it.

But amid the profusion of flowers, none are
more numerous than the heaths. Like the mari-
golds, they grow everywhere, arid they will clothe
the barest and most barren rock with beauty.

The flowers of the heath vary in shape as they
do in colour. They are cup-shaped, or bell-shaped,
or trumpet-shaped ; and they are red, and green,
and yellow, and purple — every tint, in fact, but blue.

Round the larger flowers are usually swarms of
birds and insects. Here are butterflies richly clad,
buzzing hosts of bees, and, more beautiful than all,
the tiny Sun-Bird, scarcely larger than the butter-
fly, and which comes to perch on the edge of some
velvet petal.

144 AFRICAN SUN-BIRDS.

There is a little Sun-Bird, with blue bands
glossed with violet, called the Blue-banded Sun-
Bird, and which flies in small flocks of eight or ten
together. And there is another, the Violet-banded
Sun-Bird, still more tiny. And another still, with
tufts on either side of brilliant scarlet. Then
there is another, called the Fine-backed Sun-Bird.
Its head and neck are of a glowing purple, with
a bronze-like lustre. The upper parts of the bird
are coloured like the petals of the auricula, with
a constantly changing lustre. There are no tufts,
but on each wing is a patch of the richest violet.

Another beautiful bird has a patch of emerald-
green upon its throat ; and the fore-parts of the
neck and breast are of the brightest scarlet,
changing into purple.

This gay plumage disappears when the mating
season is over, and the bird becomes of a dull
brown, tinted with yellow.

Then there is the Amethyst-throated Sun-Bird,
the plumage of which is thick and soft as velvet.
On the throat is an oval patch of rich purple, and
the wing-feathers are of the same beautiful tint.

AFRICAN SUN-BIRDS. 145

It is one of the largest species of the Sun-Birds ;
and though the velvety feathers are darker than
usual, yet the patches of colour make it equal in
beauty to any of its tribe.

I might mention, too, the Red-breasted Sun-
Bird, a wonderful little creature, with a collar of
red and yellow, and the head and neck of a
golden-green. And the Long-tailed Sun-Bird,
with a collar of blue ; and which is found in
Nubia, nestling among the leaves of the acacia-
trees.

But the descriptions I could give you, or even
pictures themselves, would fail to impart any
adequate idea of these gems of Nature — these
beautiful birds !

10

XXX.
THE SPLENDID SUN-BIRD.

JE mighty forests of Eastern Africa are
nourished and fed by an annual supply
of rain. And streams and rivers water
the earth. But other parts of the conti-
nent are not so favoured. There are tracts of
country which suffer from long-continued droughts,
and at certain times are barren and waste. The
soil is a kind of loose sand, almost like the desert.
And yet these tracts of country cannot be called
deserts. In spite of the want of rain, and the
sandy soil, they will often be covered with plants
and shrubs, and grass will clothe the ground, and
here and there trees will grow.

THE SPLENDID SUN-BIED. 147

Nature has provided a number of plants suited
to these arid spots, and able to draw nourishment
and subsist where other plants would die. And
not only so, but the plants and shrubs found in
these parched places can afford a sort of refresh-
ment and comfort to man. The thirsty traveller,
making his way over the plain, often comes on a
little plant with a stem no thicker than a quill.
If he is aware of the nature of the plant, he will
rejoice as though he had found a benefactor. He
will dig round it, and will presently unearth the
root, which is a large round tuber, the size of an
infant's head. When he takes off the rind of the
tuber, there is a quantity of juicy pulp within,
which is cool and refreshing, and suffices to allay
his thirst.

There is another creeping plant allied to this,
and which bears many tubers, some of them as
large as a man's head.

The tubers grow in a circle a little distance from
the stem. The natives are very quick at finding
out the exact spot where the tuber lies hidden.
They strike the ground with a stone, and listen to

148 THE SPLENDID SUN-BIRD.

the sound it makes. Their ears are so sharp they
can detect the slightest difference in the sound of
the blow. "When the tuber is just beneath, the
noise of the blow is not the same. And then, in
that exact spot, the native begins to dig, and soon
finds the treasure he is seeking. Each tuber
affords a grateful supply of nourishment and of
moisture.

Another refreshing plant of the desert, is the
water-melon. Now and then, an unusual quantity
of rain will fall and gladden the parched soil.
Then the water-melons push forth in abundance,
and literally stud the ground. The traveller and
his party, and his cattle, may live upon them
many days, and care little about any other kind
of beverage.

I might mention many more of these water-
yielding plants. On the western coast, on the
banks of a river that is very often dried up and
empty, the hillocks of sand are enriched by a
bountiful gourd that grows upon them. It is
about the size of a turnip, and has an orange-
coloured pulp, the taste of which is very agreeable.

THE SPLENDID SUN-BIKD. 149

One part of the year, the gourd, or naras, as it is
called, serves as the staple food of the natives. It
contains a number of seeds, a little like almonds,
and they dry them in the sun and put them by as
a reserve. When the fruit fails, they fall back on
the seeds, and are preserved from famine.

This tract of country could not be inhabited but
for the naras. Food is scarcely to be obtained,
and the natives would perish if they were deprived
of this wholesome and agreeable resource.

But there is still another tribe of plants, too
curious to^be passed over.

To this tribe belongs the fig-marigold, of which
we have spoken before, and that is called the
Hottentot's fig.

In all other plants, heat and dryness cause the
seed-vessels to split open and yield their contents.
But it is not so with the marigold. The burning
heat and drought keeps the seed-vessels firmly
shut. But when rain comes, and the atmosphere
is moist and will allow them to grow, the lid
opens, and the seeds are shed just at the time
when they are certain to vegetate.

150 THE SPLENDID SUN-BIRD.

One of the marigolds has a tuberous root, which
is eaten raw ; and from the leaves of another the
Hottentots prepare a substance which they chew
like tobacco.

In the western part of Africa is found one of
the most beautiful of the Sun-Birds. It is called
the Splendid Sun-Bird ; and no more suitable
name could be given to it. Its neck is of a golden-
green, and varies in colour with every changing
light. Its head and throat sometimes look black,
and sometimes of a rich violet. It has a band of
scarlet across its breast, and its tail is jet-black,
edged with golden-green.

And so do the tints of this wonderful bird
change with every light, that the breast looks as
if it were banded with blue, and green, and violet.
The reason of this play of colours is owing to the
structure of the feathers. Each feather has a tip
of vermilion, so fine that it is lost against the tint
of the feather beneath, and only comes now and
then to sight. The base of the feather is a
metallic blue or green.

Two lemon-coloured tufts spring from each side

,
THE SPLENDID SUN-BIKD. 151

of the breast. This gorgeous bird, thus sumptu-
ously arrayed, visits the great fish-river and the
country round, inhabited by savage tribes. Its
favourite resort is the worm-eaten trunks of the
mimosa-trees, where it makes its nest.

XXXI.
THE PLAINS OF AFRICA.

great plains of Africa are not only
studded with moisture-yielding plants ;
they are also the abode of all manner of
living creatures.
As in the Tropical forest, so it is here, — birds,
animals, and insects live in freedom and rove
about undisturbed. Here we find the zebra, that
no man can tame. Herds of zebras gallop and
whirl about in the ample space afforded them.
But even here they are timid and watchful, and
always suspecting danger. When the zebra is
attacked it fights desperately with its hoofs, and
often gets the better of its enemy. It has one

THE PLAINS OF AFKICA. 153

great enemy; for on these wild plains, the leopard
prowls about seeking for prey. Man will some-
times capture the zebra, and try to make it a
beast of burden. If it is taken very young, such
a thing has been possible ; but, except in rare in-
stances, the zebra will rather die than be a captive.

On this expansive plain many objects of interest
present themselves. Here are all the different
kinds of antelopes.

Yonder little creature, like a goat, is the small-
est of the race. It is called the spring-bok, or
springing-goat. Its long shining hair is of a
beautiful cinnamon colour, while the lower part
of the body is a snowy- white.

The horns spread backwards in a curve, and
then bend inwards at the points.

The spring-bok has two folds of skin, in the
middle of its back, that reach to the tail. When
the creature is at rest the folds are not seen, and
appear of the same colour as the back. But if it
is excited, and begins to take its marvellous leaps, ,
the folds expand, and show a broad patch of the
purest white. These springing- antelopes herd

164 THE PLAINS OF AFRICA.

together in countless numbers on the plains, and
keep as far as possible from the haunts of man.
But now and then, in seasons of great drought,
the pools dry up, and there is not a drop of water
for them to drink.

Then the whole herd makes a descent on the
cultivated spots, in numbers so vast that nothing
can withstand them.

This is an event the African farmer dreads
more than anything that can happen to him. The
antelopes come like a swarm of locusts, and any
attempt to keep them from the fields is useless.
They whiten the country as far as eye can reach ;
and pastures, which in the morning were fair and
flourishing, are trodden down level with the ground.

The farmer is obliged to find fresh fodder for
his flocks until such time as the rain comes, when
the spring-boks return to their native wilds.

The bounds which the spring-bok can take into
the air fill us with astonishment. It will curve
its back, showing the white mark, and leap eight
feet into the air. It will spring across a path
twenty-five feet in width, and clear it at one bound.

THE PLAINS OF AFRICA. 155

The farmer in that part of the world has, in
some small degree, his revenge on the antelopes.
He kills a great many of them with his gun ; for
the flesh is as good as venison, and the skin is
useful to him for clothing and a variety of pur-
poses. When the rain comes, the great plain that
looked like a desert changes its appearance. It
blooms like a garden ; all kinds of flowers and
heaths burst forth in a sheet of colour.

Clouds of brilliant Sun-Birds come to feast
upon the nectar they contain, and the butterflies
and radiant insects of the Tropics flutter about
and enjoy their little day.

Sometimes a black object will appear in the
horizon, that gets larger and larger, and at length
darkens the sky. The locusts are come; and
they fall upon the verdant plain as if resolved to
destroy every green blade.

The birds in their turn attack the locusts, and
pursue them on the wing, and drive them from
place to place. While the scourge of locusts lasts,
however man may suffer, the feathered tribes have
a continual banquet.

XXXII.
THE NAMAQUA SUN-BIRD.

HAVE not quite finished with this part
*of Africa.

Many wild tribes live scattered about
on the plains, obtaining a livelihood from
the animals or the plants, or even the insects and
the reptiles that abound.

There is the Bushman, who inhabits the most
desolate spots, and is so degraded as to be hardly
human. He lives by hunting, and follows his
prey from place to place.

But he is neither strong nor brave, so that he
has recourse to cunning. He uses a poisoned
arrow, and is very adroit in aiming it. The poison

THE NAMAQUA SUN-BIKD. 157

is so powerful that the animal dies almost at once.
Then the Bushman takes out the poisoned part,
and generally devours the prey before he quits the
spot.

There are some animals whose skin resists the
poison; such as the elephant. Then the Bushman
makes a pitfall, and covers it with twigs and leaves.
Or he goes out some moonlight night armed with
his spear, that has a long blade attached to it.
One wound alone would have little effect on the
elephant, and he could march off with the spear
in his body. But the Bushman gives him no rest.
He returns to the attack again and again, choosing
the moment when the elephant is out of breath,
and has just made a furious charge. By degrees,
the huge animal gets weak from loss of blood, and
falls a victim to the perseverance of his enemy.

Nothing in the way of food comes amiss to the
Bushman. He searches out the nest of the
Ostrich, and takes the eggs.

When this is done, he hides himself, and waits
patiently until the monstrous bird comes home.
He shoots it with one of his deadly arrows —

158 THE NAMAQUA SUN-BIRD.

arrows that make such havoc with the wild
creatures of the plain.

But the Bushman cannot always procure suffi-
cient food, even though he will devour snakes,
ants, and locusts.

The women go about collecting roots and
melons, and all the fruits they can find, to eke
out a scanty living.

The Bushman has a neighbour far more provi-
dent than himself. He has just the same diffi-
culties to contend with, for he cannot always pro-
cure food ; and if it comes a dry season, the melons
and gourds will fail him. But he cultivates a
little garden of his own, and grows herbs and
vegetables for his use. And he has a flock of
goats, which he contrives to keep alive in spite
of the occasional want of water.

"Water is as scarce as possible during the long
droughts ; and the Bechuana, as he is called, dare
not let his well be seen. His fierce neighbours
would come and rob him of the precious store ;
so he is obliged to act with the utmost caution.

He keeps the well covered over with sand, so

THE NAM AQUA SUN-BIRD. 159

that no one can find it ; and he lives a long way
off. When he is obliged to send for water, a
number of women set off and journey to the place.
They have bags filled with egg-shells of the
Ostrich, which are the only water-vessels they
use. They do not open the well, but each woman
inserts a reed into it, plunging it in as deep as it
will go. Then she draws up the water with her
mouth, and puts it out into the egg-shell by her
side, filling shell after shell, until she has enough.

The water thus slowly procured is carried
home, and every drop is as precious as gold.

When Dr. Livingstone was in this same
country, he saw an instance of the great value in
which water is held, and that seems scarcely
credible to us in this land of streams and rills.

He saw the natives slowly and painfully
digging into the dry bed of the river, in hopes
of obtaining a few drops of water, that might be
drained out of the soil. The drought had been
so severe that the grass crumbled to powder when
touched ; and even insects could not live on the
heated and dried surface of the ground.

160 THE NAM AQUA SUN-BIRD.

Among the wild tribes scattered over this part
of Africa a beautiful Sun-Bird is found.

It inhabits the country of the Namaquas, and
is called the Namaqua Sun-Bird.

It has been seen nowhere else, and remains in
this one locality all the year round.

The plumage it wears is grave compared with
many of its family. But a tuft of vivid orange
springs from either side of the breast, and gives it
a beautiful appearance.

The young birds are of a reddish -brown ; but
some of them have two pale yellow spots, one
on either side. From these spots by-and-by will
spring the tufts of orange that are so great an
ornament.

• You must not suppose that the Namaquas are
so degraded a race as the Bushmen. They have
herds of cattle, and are far more civilized. But,
like the rest of the African tribes, they are very
cunning, and not at all to be trusted.

XXXIII.
THE MALACHITE SUN-BIED.

is a Sun-Bird which is the largest
of the whole species. It is called the
Malachite Sun-Bird, and differs a little
from its relations. Two of the tail-
feathers are of some length, reaching beyond the
others for three or more inches.

All the upper parts of the body of this beautiful
bird are of a deep green, like malachite, with a
changing tint of gold and bronze. The feathers
on the head and throat are thick and close,
like a pile of velvet, and a little resemble the
plumage of the Birds of Paradise. On the breast
and neck the colours seem as if waved, the tips

(393) 11

162 THE MALACHITE SUN-BIRD.

of the feathers being green, and the base a deep
black. The wings of this splendid bird are black,
edged with the same malachite-green, and from
the under part are two tufts of brilliant yellow.

It would be scarcely possible to describe the
varied tints and hues and changing colours that
play every moment over the surface of the
plumage. But, after the period of rearing its
young has passed, the beautiful Sun-Bird changes
its costume. Its radiant tints vanish, and it
becomes of a dull green and yellow. Thus it
remains, divested of its charms, until the next
season arrives. Then the long tail-feathers
appear, and the plumage assumes its brilliancy.
It again flashes and sparkles, and delights the
eye with its wonderful beauty.

The home of the Malachite Sun-Bird is in the
southern part of Africa, near the Cape of Good
Hope.

Here, in the gardens occupied by the colonists,
and in pleasant fertile spots, grow the flowers in
which the Sun-Birds delight.

All kinds of acacia-trees bloom in full beauty.

THE MALACHITE SUN-BIRD. 163

Here is the delicate sensitive-plant that shrinks
at a touch; and the tamarind-tree with its graceful
foliage and yellow sweet -smelling flowers, and
which has stored up, in its pods, a soft acid pulp
pleasant to the taste.

And growing nearer to the interior of the
continent, farther north than the colony, is the
curious butter - tree, so much prized by the
natives.

It grows in the thickest part of the forest, and
is tall and straight, and with a bark that resembles
the ash. The branches spring from the tree at
a great height; and when the nuts are ripe they
are gathered by the black man as one of his richest
treasures.

He prepares them by boiling until the oil or
butter is expressed; and in this state it is perfectly
white, like our English butter when newly-churned.
The native uses it in his cookery as we do
butter. And he has another object in preparing
it, and quite as important. His toilette could not
be made without it. He anoints his skin with
the product of the "fat-tree," as he calls it, to

164 THE MALACHITE SUN-BIRD.

prevent the cracks or scabs which are apt to spoil
his personal appearance.

Indeed, the "fat -tree" is so precious to him,
that if any dearth of the nuts takes place, it is as
bad as a famine.

Yet, like the rest of the uncivilized world, he
will not be at the pains to cultivate it.

A lady, who was travelling in Africa, made
every attempt to see this wonderful tree. It was
not possible to reach it, so deep and dense was
the forest. But she witnessed the manner in
which the butter was prepared; and she brought
home a jar filled with it, and it kept sweet and
fresh to the end of the journey.

She declared that in frosty, biting weather,
nothing that she had ever applied was more
healing to the skin.

XXXIV.
SUN-BIRDS IN JAVA.

?E have visited the far-off land of New
Guinea, and the smaller group of the
Am Islands, in search of beautiful
birds.

Belonging to the same archipelago of islands
are others of equal interest, and in which we shall
find some of the radiant creatures that form the
subject of our volume.

In the island of Java there live various species
of Sun-Birds that must not be passed over.

One is called the " dark-breasted " Sun-Bird,
because of the patch of dark steel blue underneath
the throat and breast. On the forehead is

166 SUN-BIRDS IN JAVA.

another patch of steel blue ; and there is a band
of purple round part of the neck.

Another beautiful bird has a crown of golden
green on the upper part of its head ; and its
breast and the lower part of its body are of a rich
crimson purple. On either side are tufts of
brilliant blue.

The bird is a tiny creature, scarcely four inches
long, and is supposed to live nowhere but in Java.

Java is essentially a forest country. It is
clothed with dense and mighty forests, that,
except in certain portions, reach from the sea-
shore to the summit of the highest mountains.

The mountains are, nearly all of them, vol-
canoes; and Java contains more volcanoes, for its
size, than any other tract of country in the world.

These volcanic mountains are formed of the
ashes, and lava, and mud, which from time to time
have been thrown up from the different craters,
and have by degrees accumulated. Indeed, the
whole island seems to owe its existence to this
cause ; and its richness and fertility make it one of
the gardens of the Eastern world.

SUN-BIRDS IN JAVA. 167

The open spaces between the forests are like so
many parks laid out by the hand of Nature.

Clumps of trees dot the surface of the ground,
and give a delightful effect to the scenery.

Here the peacock struts about, as well as in
the forest glades ; and as evening approaches
its harsh scream begins to be heard. Then the
native hastens to his dwelling, perhaps in one of
the villages that are scattered here and there in
wild and lonely places. He shuts himself in, and
is glad to find himself in security. It is a popular
belief that, when the peacock is heard, the tiger
issues forth for his night's depredations. Nothing
is more dangerous than to venture along the park-
like plains, inviting as they seem, without a
plentiful supply of fire-arms, Often, before any-
thing is seen, the horses stand still and tremble
violently. The tiger may lurk only a few yards
distant, hidden by some patch of jungle, and be
ready to take his fatal spring.

He is a handsome creature, with stripes of black
and gold, and every movement is full of grace.
But he is the scourge of this beautiful island ; and

168 SUN-BIRDS IN JAVA.

scarce a native family, in these tiger-haunted
places, but has had some member of it carried
away and devoured.

Java abounds in all the riches of the tropi-
cal world : birds and insects wear the splendid
colours that belong to the land of perpetual sum-
mer.

The insects attain a size beyond what is ever
known in England. There are gigantic spiders,
that spin a network so strong that it has to be
cut with a knife.

On one of these powerful threads the spider
suspends itself, as in mid-air, across the forest
glade, and seems mounted on some aerial bridge.
The birds might seize on the tempting morsel dis-
played thus openly before them. But Nature has
protected the spider by giving it a number of sharp
spines that stick out of its body. Some of these
spines are longer than the body of the spider itself,
and render it an unpleasant morsel for a bird to
swallow.

In England, the spider wears a very sombre
dress ; but in the Tropics it is far otherwise. The

SUN-BIKDS IN JAVA. 169

spider is arrayed in as rich a costume as the Sun-
Bird or the Humming-Bird.

It has stripes of yellow, black, orange, and
green ; and marks and characters of the most gro-
tesque description are painted on its body.

These brilliantly-marked spiders live among the
flowers and foliage. Those of the species that
lurk in gloomy places, wear a dark and sombre
attire, as if in unison with their habits.

One spider with a black body and scarlet sides,
lives on the seeds of a tree which are marked in
exactly the same manner as itself.

The spiders have many enemies ; for they are
not all protected by spines. In Java there is a
kind of sparrow that lives almost entirely on
spiders, and is named from this very habit. The
bird has a long slender bill curved backwards ;
and it can search for the spider, and drag it from
the most secure hiding-place.

There is a curious sight often met with in Java.

The traveller who approaches a village may
happen to see a tree covered with black objects,
which he supposes to be the fruit.

170 SUN-BIRDS IN JAVA.

The objects, however, turn out to be nothing of
the kind. He soon perceives a disagreeable scent,
and hears a piping noise. The black objects
resolve themselves into a troop of bats !

There they hang, head downwards, from the
branches to which they have hooked themselves,
waiting for the dusk of evening, when they will
fly forth in search of prey.

The largest bat in the world lives in Java.

XXXV.

SUN-BIRD IN SUMATRA.

>ME fifteen miles from Java lies the great
island of Sumatra. Here we are close
under the Equator, for the imaginary line
runs obliquely through the island. A
beautiful Sun-Bird flits about, under the fierce rays
of the vertical sun, and makes its home here. It
has a blue patch on the forehead, and a stripe of
the same colour on the sides of the neck. The
upper part of the back is a dark red, and the
breast is also red, but of a lighter shade. The tail
feathers are blue.

This bird, which is one of the tiny gems in the
family of Sun-Birds, was mentioned by Sir Stam-

172 SUN-BIKD IN SUMATRA.

ford Raffles, in a list he made of the birds of Java
and Sumatra. He was once governor of these
islands, and to him we are indebted for many dis-
coveries in natural history.

It was he who first came upon the monstrous
flower called after himself athe Rafflesia," and
which was growing unknown and unheard of in
the forests of Sumatra.

It belongs to a class of plants much akin
to the fungi, and is a parasite in its habits.
It has neither root nor leaves ; but the flower,
huge as it is, and the largest flower in the world,
issues from the root or stem of a tree, and
gradually opens its flesh-like petals. The odour it
gives out is anything but agreeable, and resembles
decaying meat.

Here, too, is the curious leaf-like butterfly that
so deceives the naturalist. He sees it flying about
with its bright colours, and a band of deep
orange across its wings. Then, all at once, it is
gone, and seems as if it had vanished by magic.
He searches for it in vain ; and though he can
point out the exact spot where he saw it last, he

SUN'-BIRD IF SUMATRA. 173

cannot find it. But all the time it is close by him,
and he has looked at it again and again without
recognizing it.

It has settled on a twig, with its wings closed,
and looks so much like a leaf that he has mistaken
it for one. The reason of this great resemblance
is soon explained. The upper wings of the butter-
fly end in a fine point like the tip of a leaf, and
the lower wings end in a projection very much
like a stalk ; and, besides that, there is a stripe
up the wing that looks exactly like the midrib of
the leaf, and there are other markings that corre-
spond with the veins.

The butterfly drops down upon a twig, and is
thus lost sight of; and this is the way it escapes
many of its enemies.

The Sun-Bird in the Picture was named after
Mrs. Gould, the wife of Mr. Gould the naturalist.
It wears, as you see, a costume of blue, yellow,
and red, and has light brown wings which are
always in motion. As it flutters in the sunlight,
it seems some fairy creature decked in gold and
azure and all the tints of the rainbow.

XXXVI.
THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD.

is a country that, in olden time, was
looked upon as a kind of magic region.

The travellers who made their way
thither, brought home wonderful accounts
of the products of the place. But gradually the
fairy region became more trodden and better
known. In these days, every part of India is
familiar.

It reaches from the ranges of the Himalaya
Mountains to the point of Cape Comorin ; and
though the fables once believed have passed away,
it is well known to abound in the rarest and the
richest productions.

THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD. 175

India is the home of almost every beautiful
bird, insect, and flower, that exists within the
range of the Tropics ; and the scenery in many
parts may well be compared to fairy-land.

Here grow the trees and plants which are of
such service to man, and the products of which
are borne in merchant- vessels to every part of the
globe. The cotton, the rice, the arrow-root, the
indigo, all kinds of dyes, and spices, and fabrics
of the finest texture, almost as fine as gossamer,
come from India. And here are pearls, and
ivory, and gold, and gems — indeed, the riches of
the world seem poured out in this favoured land.

The fertility of India is occasioned by the
plentiful supply of moisture yielded to it. The
mountain ranges, which look down on the plains of
India, have their summits covered with snow. The
melting of the snow forms the source of number-
less streams, and of the great rivers that gladden
the land. Thus supplied with heat and moisture,
herbs, trees, and flowers flourish with the utmost
luxuriance.

Beautiful birds surround us on every hand.

176 THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD.

Each, fairy bower and forest glade abounds with
them.

When the morning sun shines on the crown of
the palm trees, a cloud of Parrots, like streaks or
patches of vivid colour, fly forth in search of a
stream in which to take their early bath. Hum-
ming-Birds, of radiant hues, sparkle among the
branches, and gorgeous Fly-catchers pursue the
insects that flutter on every side.

Here we find the Sun-Birds like tiny gems
perching on the flowers, or climbing among the
branches. In the Picture, you see the Fiery-
tailed, or, as he is sometimes called, the Red-tailed
Sun-Bird.

He is a native of a part of India called Silhet, a
province which borders on Bengal, and has a
capital town of the same name.

You see in what glowing costume he is clad.
The upper part of the head and the throat are
blue, changing into violet. Then comes a patch,
or mark, of orange scarlet. The wings are purple,
edged with green, while the breast is yellow.

The fiery tail is, as you perceive, of the same

THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD. 177

orange scarlet ; and two of the tail feathers reach
to a considerable distance.

Amid the wealth of flowers, and under the
burning sun in which he delights, the Sun-Bird
enjoys his little day. The trees of the forest are
crowned with fragrant flowers, on which he loves
to perch ; or he visits the gardens, rich with
tropical beauty. His tiny nest is composed of the
finest down, picked, perhaps, from the cotton tree,
and mixed with dead leaves.

A resident in India watched the little Sun-
Birds build their nest.

They began by fixing some materials to the
great web of a spider, that hung from a twig.
The materials consisted of fragments of paper,
threads of cloth, grass, and other substances ; and
when the nest was finished it hung suspended
from the web, like a little ball in the air.

12

XXXVII.
THE NEPAUL SUN-BIBD.

is in India an extensive plain en-
closed between ranges of mountains, and
called the territory of Nepaul. It re-
sembles a kind of amphitheatre, covered
with towns and villages. It is so surrounded by
hills and mountains, that it cannot be entered
or quitted without passing by one or other of

them.

«

The northern part of the territory enjoys a
temperate climate, such as Europe ; for snow lies
upon the tops of the mountain, and will even
sprinkle the valley. Hoar-frost will be known
and heard of in these localities ; but the rivers

THE NEPAUL SUN-BIRD. 179

are never frozen, nor is there any great severity
of climate.

For some distance up the mountain sides, you
find yourself in all the rich vegetation of the Tro-
pics. Nay, in the deep sheltered valleys, which
wind into the heart of the mountains, the same
brilliant flora prevails. Here are palms and
acacias, here are trees clothed with the grotesque
orchis, and here are the feathery tufts of the
bamboo.

Higher still, are oaks and forest trees of a more
northern growth, and even the pine.

The musk-deer is a source of wealth to the
inhabitants of Nepaul. They hunt it for the sake
of the musk that it secretes, and that is so much
prized as a perfume.

The deer leads a solitary life, in the wild rocky
places on the borders of the snow. It has no
horns or antlers, and differs in other respects from
the stag or the antelope.

In winter it comes down to more temperate
spots, and this is the only time when the hunter
has a chance of capturing it. Even then his task

180 THE NEPAUL SUN-BIRD.

is a very difficult one. He sets a snare, or else
goes out with his bow and arrow. But the crea-
ture is so shy, that he is often obliged to imitate
the cry of the young one, in order to induce the
old deer to approach within reach of his arrows.

The difficulty of obtaining the musk causes it
to be sold at a very high price ; and hunting the
deer would be a profitable employment, were they
more easy to capture.

The musk is sent to England, and comes in
little bags or sacks. It is well known in the
toilette, and to many people the scent is agreeable.

It is also used as a medicine.

In the forests that clothe the mountains of Ne-
paul is found a lovely Sun-Bird.

Its bill and legs are of a wood-brown ; the top
of the head a golden-green, changing into purple ;
and the neck and back a deep carmine-red. The
cheeks, throat, and breast of this beautiful bird
are of a dazzling scarlet. The lower part of the
body has a band or mark of pale yellow; but
when the bird is at rest, the long feathers of the
tail conceal this yellow band.

THE NEPAUL SUN-BIRD. 181

This exquisite little gem is by no means rare in
the dense forests of which we have spoken. It
finds in the thick foliage an abundance of spiders,
ants, and other insects, on which it feeds, and is
seen flitting among the deep recesses like a sun-
beam.

There is another beautiful bird in this locality,
called the Nepaul Sun-Bird. The head, throat,
and neck are blue, and there is a crescent-shaped
band of chestnut on the breast. The under parts
of the body are yellow, and the middle of the
breast is of bright orange. I might tell you of
still another Sun-Bird found here ; but only one
specimen has reached us, and that had been
greatly injured.

On the sides of the neck are two stripes, or,
as they are called, moustaches, of a rich blue,
changing into violet and pink. The tail feathers
are of the same rich colours ; and they are broad
at the base, and loose from each other, so that the
bird can spread them out like a fan. The under
part of the body is black.

XXXVIII.
THE CEYLOK SUN-BIRD.

rMONG the lovely groves and gardens of
Ceylon sports the dainty little Sun-Bird
in the Picture.

It is dressed, as you perceive, in the
gay attire of the beautiful birds. Its
throat is a rich purple mixed with black, and the
body is a glowing yellow; while the band across
the throat, and the tail feathers, are a deep brown.
Nothing can exceed the beauty of this tiny gem,
as it perches itself on the petal of some tropical
flower, and feeds upon its juices, picking off, as it
does so, the insects which have found a home there.
Its note is quick and sharp and impatient, and it

THE CEYLON SUN-BI11D. 183

passes from blossom to blossom with great rapidity.
The honeyed nectar of flowers is its favourite food,
and when in captivity it will sip sugar and water
with delight.

It builds a nest a little in the shape of a bottle
with a long neck, and suspends it from the ex-
treme branch of a tree. The nest is made of the
very fine fibres of plants, and has a round hole on
one side, through which the bird can enter.

The brilliant Sun-Birds, with their purple and
yellow costumes, are found not only in Ceylon,
but also in India. The gardens and groves
abound with them, and the tiny nest is con-
stantly seen hanging from the branches of the
trees.

The mother Sun-Bird wears a grave and sober
attire. The upper part of her body is a plain
olive-green, and her throat is white. The colours
of her wings and tail resemble those of her mate.

There is a family of birds allied to the Sun-
Birds, and very much like them. They live upon
the nectar of flowers, and are called Honey-eaters.

The beak is long and curved like the Sun-Bird's,

184 THE CEYLON SUN-BIRD.

and the tongue is divided into two slender fila-
ments. Their costume is not so gay as that of the
Sun-Bird's, but there are two or three bright yel-
low feathers on each wing.

These feathers are highly esteemed by the
natives of the South Sea Islands, where the
Honey-Eater makes its home.

The chiefs wear them on their royal mantles
and robes of state. The robes are ample and flow-
ing, and are completely covered with feathers.

The head-dresses, worn by the ladies of rank,
are also made of the same yellow feathers, and
are considered of almost priceless value.

Another species of the Honey-eater has scarlet
feathers, and these are also used. The idols of the
natives are often adorned with them.

XXXIX.
THE HUMMING-BIRD.

[HE Humming-Bird is a relation of the Sun-
Bird, but is rather different in his habits ;
for he hovers over the flower, and sucks
the juices, without settling upon it.
Poised in the air, he peeps cautiously, with his
sparkling eye, into the recesses of the flower, vibrat-
ing his wings so rapidly that you can hardly see
them. All the time, he makes a low, humming
sound, that is very pleasant to listen to, and that
seems to lull the insects within the flower to sleep.
Then out darts his long delicate tongue, and takes
them up, one after the other; and he finishes as
the Sun- Bird did, by sipping a little honey.

186 THE HUMMING-BIRD.

The Humming-Bird is as fond of insects as he
is of honey, and besides catching them on the
wing, he has been seen to steal them out of the
spiders' webs. This is rather dangerous work, for
if his wings were to be entangled he would be
taken prisoner, and then woe betide him ! He
has a wholesome dread of the great spider I have
told you about, and if he only shows himself, off
the Humming-Bird darts like a sun-beam ; for
the spider is as large as he is, and a great deal
fiercer. But he can rob the smaller spiders with
less danger ; and he picks out the insects from
their webs, snatching them away in a hurry, and
then darting off, to come back again the next
minute ; and so on, until the spider is left with
an empty larder.

All the strength of the Humming-Bird lies in
his wings, that are large in proportion to his tiny
body. They are a little like those of the Swift in
shape, and everybody knows how rapidly the
Swift can dart about, and cleave the air with his
pinions. The feathers, on the quills of the Hum-
ming-Bird's wing, are so firmly united that they

THE HUMMING-BIRD. 187

are almost like a thin plate of whalebone. No air
can pass through them, and this is why they make
a humming sound, as the bird vibrates his wings.

The Humming-Bird needs these strong wings
to support himself in the air, as his feet are too
weak and delicate to perch for any length of time.

And he depends very much upon his wings for
safety.

There will come the season of rain and storm,
and his little nest will be beaten down, and his
home among the trees and flowers be made a
wreck. Before this 'happens, he must fly many
long miles to get from beneath the clouds. He
looks too fairy-like to undertake such a journey ;
but his wings are powerful enough to bear him
out of reach of danger. They will transport him
to other lands, where the storm has passed, and
the trees and flowers are blooming as gaily as
ever.

The long bill of the Humming-Bird has been
given him that he may search to the bottom of
the large tubular flowers, and rifle their sweet
juices. But some of these flowers are so bent

188 . THE HUMMING-BIRD.

that a straight bill would not be able to reach the
honey ; so the bird that feeds upon them has his
bill curved upwards at the tip, that he may follow
the bend of the flower, and not be disappointed
of his feast.

The tongue is not unlike the tongue of the
Woodpecker, and is darted out in the same way,
and for the same purpose, of entrapping insects.

It is composed of two tubes, joined together
nearly the whole of their length, and ending in a
spoon-like point. It is very sticky, so the insects
when touched by it cannot escape ; and it is also
fringed with minute spines or bristles, that still
further help to secure the prey.

The forest, with its great trees covered with
climbing-plants and flowers, swarms with these
brilliant little creatures.

" Like fairy sprites, a thousand birds

Glance by on golden wing ;
Birds lovelier than the lovely hues
Of the bloom wherein they sing."

No wonder the ancient Mexicans stole the plum-
age of the Humming-Birds to adorn their mantles;
and very superb these mantles were, sparkling

THE HUMMING-BIRD. 189

with many-coloured tints. And the Mexican youth
thought he could make no more costly present to
his bride than the gorgeous crest of the Hum-
ming-Bird, to be worn amongst her hair. Even
now, the Indian women hang the tiny bodies of
the Humming-Birds to their ears, instead of ear-
rings; and on their head-dresses, instead of jewels.

The Humming-Bird, though so small, is very
brave, and will attack a bird three or four times
his own size. It is no pleasant thing to come in
the way of his long bill, for he always pecks at
the eyes of his assailant.

When he is keeping watch over the nest he is
particularly fierce, and if another bird happen to
come near, he darts out, screaming with rage ; his
throat swells, and his wings expand to their fullest
extent, and he looks like a little fury. He gives
battle to the intruder, and the two birds fight
desperately, until one of them falls to the ground
exhausted, and so ends the conflict.

I am afraid the Humming-Bird is a very pas-
sionate little fellow. He will even go into a rage
with a flower that does not please him, or has not

190 THE HUMMING-BIRD.

so much honey in it as he expected ; and then he
tears it to pieces, and scatters it with his bill and
claws.

Perhaps the best part of his character comes
out when he is helping his little partner to build
their nest. He brings her all the materials, and
flies about collecting them with the greatest in-
dustry. The tiny nest is generally hung to the
end of a twig of the orange or pomegranate tree,
and is completely hidden by one of the large
leaves, that overhangs it, and forms a canopy.
The nest is sometimes made entirely of thistle-
down ; and the prickly burs of the thistle are
stuck outside to protect it. But moss and cotton
are used quite as often, and dead leaves woven in
among them.

The cotton grows upon a tree called the silk-
cotton tree, that is a native of these tropical
countries. It is a very large tree indeed, and
is looked upon by the black people with great
veneration. They never venture to throw a stone
at it; and when they are obliged to cut it down
they pour some wine at its root, in order to pre-

THE HUMMING-BIRD. 191

vent its being angry, and doing them any harm !
Tt is one of the few trees that shed their leaves ;
for a tropical forest is always green and full of
foliage, as the new leaves come out before the
old ones drop.

But, every other year, the silk-cotton tree stands
quite bare, and without a single leaf; and then its
trunk and great branches are dotted all over with
seed-pods. As soon as the pods are ripe they
burst, and out corn.es a quantity of fine silky down,
that is carried away by the wind. It cannot be
used as cotton, for it will not twist or hold toge-
ther, and all that can be done with it is to stuff
pillows and mattresses. But, as it floats hither
and thither, it is a rich harvest for the little
Humming- Birds. Hundreds of them may be
seen darting about, pursuing the tufts of down,
and carrying them away in their bills. "When
the nest is made, the mother bird lays two eggs
in it, no bigger than peas, and of a snow-white
colour, speckled here and there with yellow.

She and her mate sit upon the nest by turns,
and never leave it a moment. At the end of

192 THE HUMMING-BIRD.

twelve days, the two little Humming-Birds come
out of their shells, and are about the size of blue-
bottle flies. At first they are unfledged, but very
soon are covered with down ; and in time, feathers
grow upon them, and become as beautiful as those
of the parent birds.

XL.
THE HUMMING-BIRDS OF THE FOKEST.

[HE beautiful birds we are now describing
are divided into families or groups.

There is one tribe of Humming-Birds
that have their home in the shade of the
forest. They obtain their food from leaves, since
but few flowers are met with in these secluded
and shady places. They search for insects on
the vast tropical foliage of the trees, thread-
ing their way about with great dexterity, and
picking off the insects that swarm above and
beneath.

The Humming-Birds of the forest are very
numerous. Their nests are made of the fibres of

(393) 13

194 THE HUMMING-BIRDS OF THE FOREST.

plants, and dry mosses and lichens, closely woven
together. They are often lined with the beauti-
ful silk-cotton of which I have spoken, and that
provides such abundant materials for the birds.
The nest is long, and shaped like a purse. There
is a Humming- Bird, in South America, that leads
almost the life of a moth or a bat. It has two
long tail-feathers that cross each other ; and its
dress is red and gold and green, and changes
colour every moment.

It chooses the woods by the side of rivers, and
dark and lonely places. Very early in the morn-
ing, the bird comes out of its retreat in search of
insects. But no sooner does the sun appear, and
his flaming rays light up the sky, than the
Humming-Bird disappears. It dislikes the glare
and heat of the tropical day, and hides in its cool
retreat until the evening. Then it comes out
again, and darts hither and thither in search of
its prey. But for its brilliant colours, you might
take it for a bird of night.

The nest is built on a twig that overhangs some
lonely creek. It is very much like a piece of

THE HUMMING-BIRDS OF THE FOREST. 195

tanned leather, and has a kind of ridge or rim
round the top.

This rim is to prevent the eggs from rolling out.

The range of the Humming-Birds, like that of
the Parrots, is wider than was once imagined.

The tropical region is their natural home ; and
every attempt to rear them in our colder climate
has been in vain.

But they have been known to wander far
beyond the limits of the Torrid Zone. They pay
flying visits to Canada, and even travel as far as
the land of the Seal and the Penguin. In the
Southern Hemisphere, Humming- Birds have been
seen in Patagonia. But this seems to have been a
mere summer excursion, for they retreated before
the first breath of autumn.

XLI.
PHAON COMET HUMMING-BIRD.

"ERE is a part of South America which
is, next to Thibet, the highest country
in the world. It is a kind of plateau
situated between two ranges of the Andes,
and is very much larger than England. Indeed,
it would take nine such islands as England to
make one tract of country like Bolivia.

I have brought you here, because in Bolivia,
and also in Peru, there are some of the beautiful
birds we are describing.

In the Picture, you see a creature of rare and
exquisite loveliness. It is called the Phaon
Comet, and indeed it flashes, and sparkles, and

fe

HUMMING BIRDS

The PliaoD. Comet X- CMmbovaziau fliJI Sta*1

PHAON COMET HUMMING-BIRD. 197

glitters like one of those glowing and wandering
meteors above.

Nothing can be more gorgeous than its attire.
The feathers of the back are a deep luminous
crimson, its throat is like an emerald, and the
magnificent tail-feathers are barred with black.

It has all the habits of its race, and perhaps a
larger share of courage and of swiftness. It
sweeps through the air, like the spear with which
the Indian struck at the Cockatoo, and its whirling
headlong movements remind us of the weapon.
Sometimes the eye is wearied with these ceaseless
evolutions, and then the bird will drop, like a
falling star, into some huge blossom, and be
hidden from sight.

In the high table -land of Bolivia the cold is
intense, and the icy winds sweep over with
chilling breath. The soil is barren and unfruitful,
and we look in vain for the birds and flowers of
the Tropics. But the deep sheltered valleys are
fertile in the extreme, and produce sugar, cotton,
and all the riches of a sunny clime.

The table-land, cold and rugged as it is, has

198 PHAON COMET HUMMING-BIRD.

many inhabitants ; for here are found those won-
derful mines of gold and silver that were such a
source of wealth to the Spaniards. And here a
city was built, called Potosi, which is the most
elevated city in the world.

The mountain on which the city stands is
pierced in every direction by the shafts of mines.
At night, when the mines were working, and used
to glow with the light of innumerable furnaces,
the sight was very grand indeed.

At one time, more than fifteen thousand persons
were employed at the mines. But the veins of
ore are now less productive, and are comparatively
deserted.

You may imagine the desolate state of the
country round Potosi ; nothing is to be seen but
bare rocks, covered with moss. The mountains
are tipped with perpetual snow.

The poor Indian would fare badly enough, but
for certain plants, which are given by Nature for
his comfort. There is a plant which grows at a
great height above the sea, and in places where
no other seed or grain could ripen. It is called

PHAON COMET HUMMING-BIRD. 199

quinoa, and the seeds can be prepared in many
different ways. The leaves can also be made into
a kind of beer.

But the greatest consolation to the Indian is
another plant called coca, which is abundant in
the sheltered valleys. It thrives in these tropical
spots, and also on the heights, and is as carefully
cultivated and as important as the crop of corn is
with us.

The plantations of coca are seen on the steep
sides of the valleys, rising to an amazing height
above the level of the sea. The plant is about the
size of our English blackthorn, and has a shining
green foliage and small white flowers, which ripen
into scarlet berries.

The berries are not used, but the leaves are
gathered and dried in the sun. They are chewed
by the Indian with great delight, and he is never
seen without his leathern pouch full of coca, and
which also contains a little box of powdered lime.

His manner of chewing is to work up the morsel
of coca into a ball, then, taking it from his mouth,
he plunges a piece of wood like a tooth -pick into

200 PHAON COMET HTJMMING-BIRD.

the lime, and pierces the ball through and through
with it until it gets the taste of lime. That is
just how he likes it.

But one ball will not content him, and he goes
on chewing until he is often in a state of intoxica-
tion. Thus a valuable plant is made a source of
evil. But the Indian would not give up his coca
on any terms whatever : he stops his work three
times a day in order to chew it, and it serves him
almost in the stead of food.

XLIL
THE HILL-STAR HUMMING-BIRD.

[NE of the luxuriant valleys situated among
the Andes is called the Valley of Quito.
Here is the capital city of a portion of
South America named Quito, a province
that includes hill and dale, rock and mountain,
and all kinds of temperatures and productions.
The climate of the valley is delicious. Here
seems to reign an ever verdant spring. No
extremes of heat or cold reach this favoured
spot.

It is clothed with fruitful fields and orchards,
and flocks and herds, and populous villages. It
looks to the traveller the abode of beauty and

202 THE HILL-STAR HUMMING-BIRD.

content. But the most dangerous volcanoes in
the world hem in the lovely valley of Quito.

Smoke and flame are often seen issuing from
their snow-clad tops. The snow will suddenly
melt before some violent eruption, and floods will
desolate the happy valley.

The flames of Cotopaxi, the most famous of
the volcanoes, have been known to rise three
thousand feet above the top of the mountain, and
its frightful roar is heard a hundred and fifty
miles distant !

Nothing can be more dangerous than the neigh-
bourhood of these volcanoes. Under ground are
stores of hidden fire, and elements of mischief that
break out with violence.

The inhabitants are always in danger of earth-
quakes. Then the scene baffles description. The
earth reels and groans, trees are torn up by the
roots, and rocks are rent into fragments. Blue
flames issue from the ground, and people and
houses, flocks and herds, are involved in destruction.

The natives, of Quito may be said to live in
perpetual hazard. But they do not seem to

THE HILL-STAB HUMMING-BIRD. 203

realize the fact. They are a gay, light-hearted
race, fond of pleasure, and of revelling in all the
delights of their beautiful country. For here, as
if to atone for other drawbacks, the fruits of the
earth ripen with wonderful rapidity. Sowing and
reaping are carried on at once.

There is a mighty peak of the Andes, said by
some to be the highest peak in the world. It is
not a volcano, but its sides are thickly covered
with snow, and though in the midst of the Tropics,
the temperature in the neighbourhood is intensely
cold.

Yet I have brought you here to behold the
spot where a Humming-Bird chooses to dwell !

You see him in the Picture. He has his name
from the mountain, and is called the Chimborazian
Hill-Star.

A star of beauty indeed he is ! His costume
is magnificent. The head and throat are violet,
and there is a ring of shining green round the
neck. The white of the under part of his body
contrasts with the brilliant colours that adorn
him. His bill is black as jet.

204 THE HILL-STAR HUMMING-BIRD.

This star-like creature haunts the grand moun-
tain of Chimborazo, and ascends nearly to the line
where snow commences.

Here grows the gray lichen, the last of the
plants, lingering on the verge of eternal snow.
Lower down are stunted bushes and meadows of
saxifrage; and then comes the wax-palm, its leaves
coated with a substance like wax.

Lower still is the grotesque orchis, the pine-
apple, the fern, the laurel, and the fragrant myrtle.

As you descend, the colours deepen in richness,
and the climate becomes more and more tropical,
until, at length, you find yourself among the rich
foliage and gorgeous flowers of the Torrid Zone.
Thus a succession of pictures are presented by the
hand of Nature.

The Humming-Bird feeds on the Alpine plants,
and makes his nest of moss and lichen, and fastens
it under the ledge of a rock. Here the mother-
bird lays two tiny eggs, from which the young
Humming-Birds will issue.

XLIII.
THE KUBY-THKOATED HUMMING-BIKD.

[N the early spring, when the warm sun
brings out countless flowers and blossoms,
the inhabitants of the United States, and
other portions of North America, are
rejoiced to behold a fairy creature, light as air,
and with resplendent colours, advance to the
gardens and groves. Its gorgeous throat glows
with fiery red ; the feathers are very strong, and
lie upon each other like scales. As the bird
moves they change from crimson to black, and
from black to crimson.

Its costume of lustrous green changes and
sparkles like the light of emeralds. Its move-

206 THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.

ments are as the lightning flash, or the glow of a
sunbeam. It darts from flower to flower like a
gleam of light, visiting orchard and prairie and
grove.

The whole land, with its mighty forests, vast
meadows, and majestic rivers, is as one garden of
delight. The bird is recognized and admired
everywhere.

" The Ruby-throated Humming-Bird is come ! "

Many a long stretch of country, over hill, dale,
river, and forest, have the wings of the bird borne
it in safety. It is provided with no weapons of
defence. It owes its safety to its rapid flight, its
courage, and its minute size, which screens it from
observation.

Now it appears in full beauty, and prepared to
sport through the long summer hours with ever
new delight !

It has its favourites amongst the flowers. Do
you see that brilliant sheet of scarlet ? That is
the trumpet -flower, which the Humming-Bird
loves.

It comes to the blossom, and poises over it a

THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 207

few seconds. Its wings are like a mist, and are
almost invisible as they vibrate in the air. But
you can catch sight of the ruby throat, and the
golden green of the back.

Presently the bill is thrust into the flower,
and picks out an insect. Then the bird retires
to some withered twig, on which it perches to
arrange its plumage. Its note is like the chirp
of the grasshopper, and is now and then uttered
as it flits from flower to flower, or when it is
engaged in battle with one of its companions.

The Humming-Bird is very brave. It will
attack a bird double its own size ; even the tyrant
Fly-catcher is often driven away, and pursued for
a short distance.

Now and then the great humble-bee comes
droning by, and makes an attack on the radiant
creature in its path. But there is little danger
from such a clumsy foe. The Humming-Bird
darts away, and is out of sight in a moment.

Its own flight is like that of the bee, only far
more rapid. It darts in at the open window of a
room, attracted by the scent of some fragrant

208 THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.

bouquet. It gives the flowers a passing notice,
and is gone ere you can well behold it.

When the season grows late, and the evenings
are cool, the Humming-Bird can find many places
of refuge.

It enters the hothouse or conservatory, and uses
it for a sleeping-room ; going thence in the morn-
ing, and returning at night. When the season
gets later still, the Humming-Bird disappears
altogether.

Cold is very dreadful to this child of the
Tropics. Sun and heat are necessary to its
existence. If deprived of them it dies.

A Humming-Bird was once put into a cage, and
placed in a shady room. The weather was cool,
and the poor little bird, after fluttering about for
a time, fell down as if stupified, It lay with its
eyes closed, and giving no signs of life. The
owner of the bird carried it out of doors, and
placed it in the sun.

Quickly a change was observed. The bird
began to breathe more freely ; its eyes opened,
and even sparkled with their usual brilliancy.

THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 209

When it had quite recovered, no further effort
was made to detain it, and it flew joyfully to the
top of a tree, and, perching on a branch, began to
dress its plumage.

The rays of the sun had restored the bird to
life.

The nest of the Ruby -throated Humming-Bird
is the most delicate fabric that ever was seen. The
outside is made of the same gray old lichen that
coats over the branch where the tiny nest is fixed.
The bird works with such skill that it contrives to
make the nest look as if it were part of the branch.
The atoms of lichen that it uses are gummed
together with saliva. The next coating is of some
silky down it has picked up ; and the innermost
lining of all is of the softest fibres of plants, that
make a silken couch for the eggs to lie upon.

(393)

XLIV.
THE HUMMING-BIED OF NOOTKA SOUND.

the western coast of North America, as
far north as the Temperate Zone, is a bay,
or, as it is called, a sound. The entrance
lies between two rocky points, and when
these are cleared, the bay widens out and contains
a number of islands of different extent.

Many years ago, Captain Cook entered this
sound, and was the first to 'discover its existence.
He anchored his ship near to one of the larger
islands, and gave the bay the name of Nootka
Sound, which it has retained ever since.

The climate here is very mild, — much milder

THE HUMMING-BIRD OF NOOTKA SOUND. 211

than on the opposite coast of America, in precisely
the same latitude.

Here were woods of the lime, and cypress, and
other trees ; and though the gorgeous flowers we
have spoken of were not to be seen, yet others of a
humbler form and colour sprinkled the earth.
Strawberries, raspberries, and currants grew in
abundance ; and the butter-cup, the wild-rose,
and many of our English weeds, were in full
bloom.

Squirrels were at play among the branches of
the trees ; and there were a few species of birds,
such as Eagles, Woodpeckers, Kingfishers ; and
on the coast there were Swans, and Gulls, and
Wild-Ducks.

But a discovery was made in this sequestered
spot by Captain Cook. He saw one of the
beautiful birds of which we are speaking. It is
called the Ruff- necked Humming -Bird, or the
" Humming-Bird of Nootka Sound."

In one of his excursions on the island, he came
upon a number of brilliant birds, glowing with the
rich colours of their tribe, and flashing from flower

212 THE HUMMING-BIRD OF NOOTKA SOUND.

to flower, or poising over them with the habit
peculiar to their race.

As he approached a bush, out darted a radiant
creature, like a flame of fire, and passed close by
him, as though it would attack his face, returning
again and again to the charge, and whirling about
in the utmost fury.

This was the male bird, on the watch to drive
away any intruder from the nost. The angry,
hissing noise it made, was like that of a ball as it
whizzes through the air.

A few days after, Captain Cook found the nest
on the forked branch of a bramble. The mother-
bird was sitting on her eggs. She flew out, and
hovered near him while he examined the nest.
But when he went away, she took her place again,
and continued to sit on her eggs as before. The
nest was as tiny and light as possible. It was
made of lichen and moss, and a few feathers woven
together with the slender rootlets of plants, and
was lined with thistle-down.

The plumage of the bird is soft and beautifully
blended, and glossed like velvet. The upper parts

THE HUMMING-BIRD OF NOOTKA SOUND. 213

are a rich orange, and the head a bronzed green
and purple. The feathers of the throat and the
sides of the neck are a magnificent fiery red, with
a tint of yellow or green, according to the light in
which you see them. On the lower part of the
neck is a band of reddish- white.

On a clear day, the bird may be seen rising high
in the air, and then descending, to mount again.
While it descends, it utters a curious note, which
resembles the noise made by the branches of a
tree as they rub together in a high wind.

This singular note would hardly be supposed to
proceed from a bird, still less from the tiny
creature that produces it. If the weather is dull
or cloudy, the Humming-Bird is silent.

The mother-bird wears a different costume to
that of her mate. She is clad in golden-green ;
and instead of the orange throat, she has spots of
a glowing ruby.

In this remote and inhospitable spot, where we
should least expect to find them, do we thus come
upon the beautiful birds !

XLV.
THE MANGO HUMMING-BIRD.

[HEKE is one species of Humming-Bird
that is more hardy than the rest of its
tribe, and has been brought to England.

It is called the Mango Humming- Bird,
and is very common in the parts of the world
where it lives. The Mango Humming-Birds are
seen everywhere.

They are beautiful birds, as you will judge from
the description I am about to give you.

Under the throat and body is a deep rich stripe
of velvety black, shaded with the brilliant blue
which so often makes part of the costume of the
Humming-Bird.

THE MANGO HUMMING-BIRD. 215

The upper part of the body is the usual golden-
green. The tail-feathers are rounded at the tip,
and are violet or purple, according to the light
in which you see them.

A female Humming -Bird was once sitting in
her nest, when a young man who was passing saw
her. He contrived to cut off the branch with the
nest and the bird together, and to bring them
away. A few days after, he sailed for England,
and during the passage he fed the bird with honey
and water. She grew very tame, and continued
to hatch her eggs, out of which came, in course
of time, two tiny creatures no bigger than blue-
bottle flies.

These little Humming- Birds began to grow and
thrive. But the mother did not long survive her
imprisonment. She very soon died, and the
young birds were left to the care of their owner.

He contrived to keep them alive for some few
weeks after they reached England, in spite of the
coolness of the climate. One of the tiny gems
was petted by a lady, who allowed it to sip honey
from her lips.

216 THE MANGO HUMMING-BIRD.

The home of the Mango Humming-Bird is in
the West Indies, and in the flowery land of
Florida.

Parts of this beautiful country abound with
flowers ; so much so, that its name has been given
to it on this very account. Orange and lemon
trees grow wild in the utmost abundance, and
their blossoms afford a delicious banquet to the
birds. Cotton is produced in great plenty in this
tropical clime ; and the rich dye called indigo is
brought from here.

The indigo -plant is a child of the sun, and
cannot thrive anywhere but in the Tropics.
Indeed, it requires a certain temperature to enable
it to vegetate.

It is a shrub-like plant, rising about two feet
from the ground, and its leaves a little resemble
those of the acacia. When it begins to flower,
the owner of the plantation cuts it down with a
sickle ; and then it will sprout again, and bear a
second crop. In this genial clime, the planter
will sometimes obtain four crops a year.

In the mighty forests of this part of the world,

THE MANGO HUMMING-BIRD. 217

where the trunks and branches of the trees are
clothed with brilliant parasites and spikes of
flowers of every hue, the Humming - Birds are
met with by thousands.

And in the gardens and cultivated places they
are equally abundant ; and so devoid of fear, that
a bird will hover over a blossom while the owner
is plucking another from the same bush !

The mango itself is one of the beneficent trees
of the Tropics. It has great spreading branches ;
and the foliage is so dense that a fugitive may
hide amidst it, and be rarely found by his pursuers,
though they are searching the very tree.

The taste of the fruit is sweet and luscious,
and in the season the black people live almost
entirely upon it. The cattle also are fed, and even
fattened, upon mangoes. In Jamaica, a basket of
mangoes may be had for the trouble of climbing
the tree and shaking the branches.

XLVI.
GOULD'S COQUETTE.

[HERE is a naturalist we have spoken of
before, who has spent much time and
labour in studying the habits of the
Humming - Bird. He has given us a
great deal of information about them, in a book
written for the purpose, and which is the most
valuable we have on the subject.

The lovely bird in the Picture is named
after him, " Gould's Humming-Bird," or " Gould's
Coquette."

It is one of the most beautiful of its tribe. Its
head and crest are of vivid red ; its wings are

GOULD'S COQUETTE. 219

purple ; and it wears on its neck a frill of long
white feathers tipped with golden-green.

There is a strong likeness said to exist be-
tween the Humming- Birds and some of the
insect tribe. The Humming-Bird seems more
allied to the moth or the butterfly than to the rest
of the birds. There is one moth so much like it,
that the naturalist has been known to shoot it by
mistake for the tiny gem we have been describing.
It is called the "humming-bird hawk-moth." It
is rather smaller than the Humming-Bird, but
has just the same habits. It darts and whirls
about with wonderful quickness, and hovers over
the iiower just as the bird does.

It has a long trunk or proboscis, which it thrusts
into the flower in search of food. At the end of
its body is a tuft or brush, which, when spread
open, is not unlike the tail of a bird.

The natives of Brazil seem much struck with
the likeness we are speaking of. They believe that
the moth turns into the bird, and that the bird was
first a moth. They tried to impress their fancy on
a naturalist who was visiting that part of the world.

220 GOULD S COQUETTE.

"Look," they said to him; "their heads are
the same, and so are their tails."

The naturalist found it impossible to argue them
out of this belief.

Even an English gentleman once stoutly main-
tained that he had seen a Humming-Bird in
England. For one species of the hawk-moth is
found in our own country ; and you may see it
whirling and hovering and darting about in our
gardens. The gentleman had seen the moth, and
had mistaken it for a Humming-Bird.

The orange-groves, in those sunny lands where
the Humming-Birds live, are covered all the year
round with blossom. But at certain seasons their
beauty reaches perfection. They are a mass of
fruit and blossom.

Then come the beautiful birds in flocks, spark-
ling and shining and glistening in the sun like
gold and gems.

They whirl about the trees, darting so swiftly
that you can scarcely see them. When they
pause, it is but for a moment. Down goes the
bill, and the bird is off again, darting from bios-

GOULD'S COQUETTE. 221

som to blossom, not in a regular manner, but at
random, and as by caprice.

Sometimes two Humming-Birds come to the
same flower. Then they quarrel violently, and
mount upwards, doing fierce battle with each
other. But the storm soon passes over, and the
birds dart off again in search of insects. Their
movements are so rapid that the eye cannot
catch the brilliant colours that adorn them. Nor
can one species be distinguished from another,
unless there happens to be a conspicuous patch of
white, mixed with the lovely tints of their
plumage.

I should tell you that the female Humming-
Bird does not wear the brilliant colours of her
mate. She is dressed in a more sober costume,
and is therefore not so much prized.

XLVII.
THE MARVELLOUS HUMMING-BIRD.

[HE Marvellous Humming-Bird has per-
haps no equal in beauty in the world.
It is a creature that floats about on wings
of azure and emerald. It wears a crown
of brilliant blue, and a collar of green encircles the
throat. The sides of the breast are a soft white ;
and the wonderful tail-feathers — that project to a
great length — are tipped with brown.

This rare creature was first discovered in Peru,
— a country of both desert and of verdure, of rich
tropical spots and of burning sand.

This curious region, which presents such differ-
ent aspects, lies on the sea-coast, between the

THE MARVELLOUS HUMMING-BIKD. 223

great mountains of the Cordilleras and the Pacific
Ocean.

Eain seldom falls here ; and the ,green spots are
caused by some rill or stream that descends from
the mountains. The inhabitants prize every drop
of the precious stream, and use it to water their
fields and gardens. At the line where the artificial
system of irrigation ends, the desert again begins.

On these spots, thus won from the sand, all the
rich verdure of the Tropics is seen. Here is
cotton, and sugar, and maize, and the products of
a burning clime. And here are beautiful birds of
every shade and hue. Here is the Parrot, and
the Pigeon, and the Crowned Fly-catcher, dressed
in a costume of fiery red.

In this strange land, mist supplies the place of
rain. At a certain season of the year there comes
a veil over the sky, and a kind of ceaseless drizzle
takes place.

The drizzle, unpleasant as it must be, falls on
the barren places and dry arid plains with all the
blessing of dew or of rain. They become green
and fertile, and the whole land rejoices.

224 THE MARVELLOUS HUMMING-BIRD.

Myriads of sea-birds are found on the shore.
And on some islands close by, successive genera-
tions have made their home for centuries.

As no rain falls/ the droppings of the birds
have been accumulating for ages, and would
remain undisturbed, if man had not found out then-
value. His ships go constantly to fetch away the
bird-manure, or guano, as it is called. It is of
the greatest benefit to the farmer, and used by
him to enrich his land. Not a mine of gold or
silver could be more important.

XLVIII.

THE HUMMING-BIRD OF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S
ISLAND.

>ME long time ago, a Spanish sailor used
to steer his vessel backwards and forwards
between Peru and Chili.

He was always baffled by contrary
winds, and it occurred to him that if he stood out
farther to sea he might escape them.

He put this idea in practice ; and during his
next voyage, when at sea, he fell in with an
island hitherto undiscovered. From a distance,
the island looked like a mass of rocks and moun-
tains, and had a barren appearance. But as he
approached, the prospect improved ; the moun-

(393) 15

226 HUMMING-BIRD OF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND.

tains were clothed with trees, and there were
fertile valleys, watered by crystal streams. And
here and there, a cascade bounded from rock to
rock, and glided along like a thread of silver.

All kinds of tropical plants and trees grew on
the sheltered parts of the island. Here were
palm-trees, and the cotton, and the pepper. And
here were myrtle-trees of great size, so that the
trunks could be sawed into planks forty feet long.

A tall grass, as high as a man, covered these
fertile spots, and looked like a crop of oats. And
there were ferns, and creepers, and clover, and
many other familiar plants. The island had no
human inhabitants ; but birds and insects were
met with. Here were great spiders, that wove
gigantic webs from tree to tree. And here were
the Albatross and the Hawk ; and a bird that
made a hole in the ground, like a rabbit, and fed
upon fish. Every night, this bird used to utter a
note like the words " Be quiet ! "

And here were Humming -Birds in all their
brilliant beauty. Perhaps the most beautiful
Humming- Bird ever seen is found in this remote

HUMMING-BIRD OF ROBINSON CRUSOE'S ISLAND. 227

spot. It was discovered, not many years ago,
by Captain King, and its name added to the list
of Humming-Birds that were known to live in the
island.

The blue crown of the bird is composed of
scaly feathers, which spread out to some length,
and form a crest of surpassing beauty.

The upper part of the body is a bright emerald-
green, and the two middle feathers of the tail
are green ; the others, green outside and a clear
white beneath. The cheeks of this wonderful
bird are a purple-green, with pink or violet spots,
according to the light. The under part of the
body is pure white, with round spots of the
richest golden-green, that contrast with the snowy
ground on which they are marked.

Nothing can exceed the splendour of this mag-
nificent bird. Indeed, every description falls short
of the reality. It is as if Nature in this remote
spot excelled herself. The name by which the
brilliant gem is known is "Stokes's Humming-
Bird."

The Spanish sailor gave his own name to the

228

island, and called it Juan Fernandez. He was
allowed to possess the newly-discovered spot, and
even made an attempt to colonize it. But the
few families who went to settle there did not
remain. They soon abandoned it, and it was un-
inhabited as before.

Juan Fernandez is known to every reader of
" Robinson Crusoe," as the island on which he
and his man Friday lived in solitude.

The real solitary, or exile, was a seaman of the
name of Alexander Selkirk, who quitted his
vessel, and was left behind in this desolate place.
He spent four years without hearing the sound
of a human voice ; and was at last picked up and
brought to England. The goats, in whose skins
he had clothed himself, were the descendants of
those animals brought by the colonists I have
mentioned, and that had multiplied and overrun
the island.

XLIX.
THE AZURE CROWN HUMMING-BIRD.

'N the tropical regions of Brazil, the birds
have no need to migrate, from one part
of the country to another, to escape the
winter. There is no cold season to drive
them from their haunts and homes. So that the
Cuckoo never flits, as she does in England, and
the Swallow is seen making his aerial curves and
sweeps the whole year round.

But many reasons impel the birds at times to
wander.

At one season of the year, great rains fall and
deluge the ground. Then, the forest becomes too
damp and cool to be pleasant to the birds.

230 THE AZUKE CROWN HUMMING-BIRD.

And more than that, in the open country an
abundant banquet is awaiting them. The trees
are loaded with the most tempting fruit. Here
are ripe oranges, hanging in profusion, their golden
hue displaying itself amid the flowers and blossoms
of the tree.

Here is the banana, and many more bending
under their rich burden. The maize-fields and
the rice -fields are equally tempting ; and such a
lure cannot be resisted.

Forth come the birds, from the damp gloomy
forest, to the fields, and groves, and uplands.

Each bird makes for its especial food. The
Parrots fall upon the fields of maize. The
Toucans devour the bananas with keen relish.
And the Finch tribe, clad in costume of blue and
scarlet, make for the rice.

Many beautiful birds, rarely seen at other times,
are now abroad, flaunting their rich plumage in
the open fields.

The Indian hunter, and the white man who has
settled in the country, takes, the one his rifle, and
the other his blow-pipe and his poisoned arrow.

THE AZURE CROWN HUMMING-BIRD. 231

The white man can shoot numbers of beautiful
birds without much trouble. The gay Cotinga, the
Parrot, and the Toucan, fall alike beneath his gun.

The Indian is on the watch for a splendid
Macaw, that is generally out of his reach in the
recesses of the forest.

But the magnificent bird, with its flaming
colours, has ventured from its retreat, to banquet
on certain fruits in which it delights, and which
grow in the open country. The Indian shoots as
many Macaws as he can. He has an eye for
colour, and he uses their feathers to plume his
arrows, and to adorn his person.

In these bird-hunting expeditions, the Indian
is more patient and hardy than the white man.
He continues his watch for days with the utmost
vigilance. And his quick ear and eye can detect
sounds and signals, when his more civilized neigh-
bour would be at fault.

This rich and varied country has its share of
Humming-Birds.

Among the beautiful birds that shine and
glisten, they take their place. The perpetual

232 THE AZUEE CROWN HUMMING-BIRD.

summer, the gorgeous flowers, the abundance of
insects, render bird-life a continual banquet.

The Golden-green Humming-Bird is met with,
here, and is one of the smallest, but most exquisite
of the tribe.

The tiny creature wears, as its name indicates,
a costume of golden-green with an ever-changing
lustre. The wings are a brownish-purple, and
the tail an indigo-blue.

Then there is the bird in the Picture, which is
called the Azure Crown, — a bird of rare and
enchanting beauty.

It is larger than the tiny gem just mentioned.
The bill is a clear yellow with a black tip, and
the under parts of the body a pure white.

On the back of the head is a hood or cowl of
glittering blue, which is the "azure crown."

HUMMING BIRDS

The Golden Tail and. the Azure Ci

L.
GOLDEN TAIL.

beautiful birds that abound in Brazil,
as in all tropical countries, furnish a
rich material for the native toilette-
such a material as we in these colder
climes cannot boast of. The ancient tribes of
the country adorned themselves with the plum-
age of the birds, and nowhere could they obtain
more rich variety. The Macaw, the Trogon,
the Cotinga — almost all the birds we have
named — yield plumes and feathers of wondrous
beauty.

And the feather-flowers, made by the Indians,
are esteemed the loveliest ornaments by people

234 GOLDEN TAIL.

of civilized countries; and have made their way
to Europe.

Now and then, a splendid bouquet is purchased
by the European, that is not altogether what it
professes. The leaves should be made of the
feathers of the Parrot ; but instead of this, the
Indian has procured plumes from the back of
some other bird more easily met with — such as
the White Ibis — and dyed them to imitate the
gaudy tints of the Parrot.

The Scarlet Ibis and the Rose-coloured Spoon-
bill, both of which are found on the shores of the
mighty rivers that run through the forest, yield
the most gay-coloured feathers.

The carnation, or the tulip, or even the queen
of the flowers, the rose, is imitated with the most
exquisite skill, and makes an ornament of rare
beauty for the tresses of an Indian belle.

There is a certain tribe of Indians, living on the
banks of one of the rivers, that wear a head-dress
of the most gorgeous colours.

It is a coronet of red and yellow feathers, firmly
plaited together, and fitted to a fillet or band,

GOLDEN TAIL. 235

encircling the head. These feathers are not of
their natural colour. They belong to some of the
transformed Parrots of which I have spoken, and
are very highly prized. Nothing but actual
necessity will induce an Indian to part with his
head-dress.

The ladies of Brazil imitate this fashion of
wearing the feathers of birds. They love to adorn
themselves with flowers, made of the bright-
coloured plumage that so delights the Indian.

And not one of the flowers, thus artificially pro-
duced, can vie with those made from the breasts
and the throats of the Humming-Birds. These
exquisite ornaments can hardly be described. In
the bonnet, or amid the hair, they flash and
sparkle with wonderful brilliance. The emerald,
the topaz, — all the famous jewels of the East seem
to pale before them.

In the Picture, you see one of these gems of
Nature, that inhabits the forests of Brazil. It is
called the " Golden Tail ; " and dazzles the eye with
the swiftness of its movements.

The Golden Tail Humming- Bird wears a crown

236 GOLDEN TAIL.

of rich dark blue, with a tinge of green. Green
and gold adorn the upper surface of the body, and
a golden tint flashes with remarkable brilliance
from the under parts of the wings. The tail
glistens with the richest tint of gold, and the under
surface of the body is a shining green.

This rare creature flits and flashes in the deep
forests and open plains, in the gardens and the
groves of Brazil.

But, besides the beautiful birds, the Indian has
still another resource for his toilette. The in-
sects, in this land of radiant colours, are in their
way as splendid as the birds.

They shine and sparkle like living gold.
The Indian will often make his flowers of the
lustrous wings of a beetle ; or, treating the insect
as if it were a precious stone, will have its body
set in gold, like a brooch. And, as if Nature
delighted in every form of radiance, and to flash
and sparkle with increasing lustre before the eye,
here are the whole race of fire-flies — gleaming in
the darkness like so many stars.

The Indian is attracted to them as to the beau-

GOLDEN TAIL. 237

tiful birds. He captures the living spark, as it
glows with its own light, and uses it for a torch to
guide him through the forest gloom.

And the ladies place the brilliant spark amid
their hair, letting it gleam and sparkle like a
diamond ; or they wear a robe of gossamer texture,
through which glow a myriad of fire-flies, so that
the wearer seems as if clad in a starry vesture !

LI.
RUFFED AND TUFTED HUMMING-BIRDS.

HAVE not told you half the varieties met
with in the costume of the beautiful
birds.

There is an ornament worn by a Hum-
ming-Bird that lives in the forests of Brazil. This
bird has two thick tufts of deep indigo blue, spring-
ing from under the eyes and forming a kind of
ruff. Each tuft is tipped with yellow, which con-
trasts with the intense blue of the breast. On the
forehead the feathers look like scales, and are of a
bright green. And there is a band of deep vel-
vety black running in a line from eye to eye. The
throat and part of the neck are of a shining green;

RUFFED AND TUFTED HUMMING-BIRDS. 239

and here are long narrow feathers, that form a
collar or breastplate of green against the blue.

The tail-feathers are broad and expanded, and
of a metallic green. It is difficult to imagine
such a rare and sumptuous creature, even in this
land of beauty.

There is a Humming-Bird, also in Brazil, called
the Tufted-necked Humming-Bird. It wears a
large crest of clear chestnut, and the sides of the
neck are adorned with tufts of narrow feathers.
The tufts or plumes are of the same colour as the
crest, and end in a tip of shining green. The
throat and the upper part of the breast, and also
the forehead, are covered with scale-like feathers of
a brilliant green. The back is of a bronzed green
shaded with blue, and separated from the tail-
feathers by a band or stripe of white.

The tail is broad, and spreads out in a fan-like
shape ; and is green and chestnut, with shades of
purple.

These exquisite little birds with the tufts and
ruffs I have just described, are called by the
French "Coquettes." This is a playful idea sug-

240 RUFFED AND TUFTED HUMMING-BIRDS.

gested by the ornament worn by the bird. It can
set up its beautiful ruff, and give itself the most
attractive appearance.

For it is during the courting season that the
ruff appears in its full beauty.

The bird in the Picture has a ruff of the
most fairy-like description. And it has a crest of
chestnut and green, while the throat is yellow.
It is one of the family of Coquettes, and lives in
Peru.

Thousands of Humming-Birds, rare to us, but
common enough in these sunny lands, sport in
the forests of Brazil, and are clad in rainbow
vesture.

The traveller beholds them as in a vast aviary,
flashing brightness and beauty on every side.

Here are a whole bevy of beautiful birds.
Crowds of Parrots sidle about on the branches,
or dress their gaudy plumage ; and here are the
caressing Love-Birds, and the flaming Macaws.
And close by, sits the solemn Trogon in his re-
splendent plumes. And little gleams of blue and
scarlet among the branches show the presence

RUFFED AND TUFTED HUMMING-BIRDS. 241

of innumerable Cotingas, as brisk and gay as
possible.

Beneath, on the moist earth, are numbers of
living creatures. Here are lizards, and snakes,
and insects of every kind. Here is the arma-
dillo, that rustles among the decaying leaves ; and
the curious ant-eater, with its long tongue and
its clog-like feet. And a deer will now and then
bound through some leafy opening, pursued by
the jaguar. And the tapir, with its swine-like
snout, will come crashing by.

Up above, in the topmost tier of branches,
where giant trees push their crowns into light
and air, is a vast leafy region, all matted and
bound together by the ropes and cables of the
forest.

On this mighty plateau the monkeys live in
security, and run nimbly about, and grin and
chatter and frolic. Not even the thunder and
lightning of the white man's gun can reach them.
And the squirrel bounds from bough to bough,
with wild delight.

Standing as we do, in this magical spot, sur-

(393) 1(3

242 RUFFED AND TUFTED HUMMING-BIRDS.

rounded with all the wonders of the Tropics, a
peculiar sound meets our ear.

There comes up from the distance a clear shrill
whistle, like the well-known signal of a railway
train. Such a thing cannot be, in this remote
spot. But, as sure as morning, noon, and evening
come, it is heard.

A grasshopper makes this curious utterance.
Not more curious than another sound, like a
hammer, that marks the hours, through the
tropical night, with the utmost regularity.

This watchman of the night is a frog, called by
the natives the " Hammersmith."

And in the scorching noon, weary and parched
with thirst, the traveller is sometimes mocked
by a small brown bird, that repeats in his ears
the tantalizing words that mean, in the language
of the country, " Have you no water ? "

LIL
THE CRIMSON TOPAZ.

part of the world in which, the lovely
bird in the Picture is found, is rich in
many interesting scenes and valuable
productions.

It is called Guiana, and is a territory to the
north of South America.

Here again the tropical forest presents every
variety of wonder. The most curious object met
with, in its wild recesses, is a tree called the mora,
which towers aloft, its topmost branches often
white and bare with age. A fig-tree that has the
habits of a parasite chooses the mora to subsist upon.
The fig-tree is about the size of our English

244 THE CRIMSON TOPAZ.

apple-tree, and it shoots forth from one of the
thick branches of the mora, near to the top.

When the figs are ripe, they yield a rich harvest
to the birds. Crowds of birds flock round them ;
and to this very circumstance the fig-tree owed its
existence.

A bird dropped the seed of the fig-tree on the
branch of the mora. It had been feasting on
some neighbouring figs, and had perched on the
mora to digest its banquet.

Up to this time the mora was flourishing in all
its luxuriance. But the seed dropped by the bird
sent out its rootlets into the branches, and began
to draw nourishment from the sap.

The sap caused it to grow with vigour, and
mount upwards. But when it became a fig-tree
yielding fruit, it also, though a parasite, became
the abode of other parasites. The birds, as they
flocked to it, dropped seeds that began to grow
upon its branches, as its own seed had grown upon
the mora-tree. Thus parasite after parasite took
hold on each other, and all were maintained by
the sap and juices of the mora !

THE CRIMSON TOPAZ. 245

But the tree, thus encumbered, cannot long
support its burdens. After a time, it will languish
and decay. And then the whole brood of para-
sites, cut off from their supplies, will perish with
it. Often, in the forest, the traveller stands to
gaze on a tree so covered with parasites that not a
vestige of the trunk or the branches can be seen.

Some of these parasites bear flowers of brilliant
beauty, that seem to start, as by magic, from the
branch or stem on which they grow.

And others have a strange and almost mournful
aspect, as they hang from the tree like ragged
tufts of hair.

They are known by the name of the " monkey's
beard," or the "old man's beard."

The thick black filaments of the plant are like
horse-hair, and are used by the natives as such, to
stuff their cushions and mattresses.

The birds find in this curious parasite a
material ever at hand, of which they can build
their nests.

There is a little bird dressed in black and orange,
and that is called the Baltimore. It picks up a

246 THE CRIMSON TOPAZ.

long thread of the " beard " and fixes it by either
end to a branch. This is the beginning of the nest.
Then comes the other bird with another thread,
and fixes it side by side with the first.

Thus the two birds assist each other in building
the nest; and it is woven so firmly that no tempest
and no rain can injure it.

The nest of the Crimson Topaz is made of a fun-
gus, and fastened together with a fine net like a
cobweb. It is of the shape of a cup, and is found
in some sheltered spot, or dark and lonely creek.

The bird itself sparkles like a jewel, and well
deserves its name of Topaz. Its colours are
gorgeous ; and the feathers seem to overlap each
other like scales.

Nothing can be more splendid than the tail-
feathers of this beautiful bird. They are, as
you see, orange and green, and the throat is the
loveliest green and yellow.

The Crimson Topaz is the largest of the Hum-
ming-Birds. The mother -bird lays two eggs in
her cup-like nest.

LIII.
THE PURPLE-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD.

f|HE territory of Guiana abounds in many
kinds of Humming-Birds. There is the
Black -crested Humming -Bird, with a
breastplate of emerald-green, while the
centre of the breast is black ; and the White-tailed
Humming-Bird, with a tail of white, except the
middle feathers, which are green.

And there is the Humming-Bird in the Picture,
with the upper part of the body a purplish-black,
and the wings of an olive-green. The bright
grass-green of the tail is very striking. This
beautiful bird is called the Purple-crested Hum-

248 THE PURPLE-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD.

ming-Bird, and is to be seen in the West Indian
Islands, as well as in Guiana.

The forests of Guiana swarm with birds of
every hue and tint. Crowds of little creatures,
some of them no bigger than a Wren, but clad in
brilliant colours, fly about in troops, to seek for
insects on the leaves and branches of the trees.
These are the Manakins. They have a low sweet
note, uttered from time to time as they hop about.

Then there is a bird like the Mocking-Bird,
dressed in black and yellow, that makes all kinds
of curious noises. Whatever bird happens to be
singing, it will mimic him, and sing almost as
well. So that there appears to be a succession of
birds. Now you hear the cry of the Toucan, now
the hammering of the Woodpecker. If even a
dog bark, the sound will be mimicked !

In the most secluded part of the forest, a bird
lives that is so rare that he is scarcely ever seen.

He is called the " Cock of the Rock," and
wears a very beautiful costume of orange ; and has
on his head a great comb or crest, that gives him
his name. These birds are said by the Indians to

THE PURPLE-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD. 249

hold " dancing-parties/' after the manner of the
Birds of Paradise. But, in this case, only one
bird performs ; and the rest look on, and clap their
wings by way of applause.

This is the moment chosen by the Indian to
creep cautiously to the spot with his blow-pipe.

The birds are so occupied that they do not per-
ceive his approach, until he has shot several of
them.

L1V.
OTHEK INHABITANTS OF THE FOKEST.

>U must not suppose that the tropical
forest is solely occupied by the animal
world.

It has other inhabitants, who find a
home within its extensive bounds. Here and
there, a small portion of it is cleared, and a settler
builds a little wooden house, and has a plantation
of coffee or of cocoa.

Some of these wooden dwellings are very pic-
turesque, and are covered with roses and jessa-
mine, and shaded with fruit-trees. But the life
of the white man, even though surrounded by the

OTHER INHABITANTS OF THE FOREST. 251

luxuriance of Nature, is lonely, and he is rarely
happy.

Should he, however, content himself with his
lot, he becomes a kind of forest king ; and, like
the Indian, gets acquainted with every herb and
flower, and every tree and bush, near his little
domain. And he knows the voices of the birds,
and the animals, and leads a life of perfect free-
dom, if not of enjoyment.

Besides the settlers in the forest, there are
many runaway negroes, who subsist by hunting
and by plunder, and are not very pleasant to meet
with. And there are different tribes of Indians,
who wander about in the accessible parts of the
forest.

These wandering tribes are, many of them, low
enough in the scale of intelligence. But they are
skilled in the forest paths, and the forest lore.

They know the properties of plants, and where
to obtain their terrible poisons. And they under-
stand the habits of birds and animals, and can
track them with patience and dexterity.

The Indians, in the forests of Guiana, are a

252 OTHER INHABITANTS OF THE FOREST.

fierce and jealous race. The different tribes hate
each other, and never meet except to fight.

They are so suspicious, that when a tribe
marches over a sandy district, they tread in each
other's steps, and the Indians who are last in the
file take care to obliterate all trace of footmarks.

They do this lest another tribe should find out
where they are gone, and be upon their track.

In these forests are a tribe of earth -eating
Indians. Their huts are stored with round balls,
that look like dumplings, and, indeed, form part
of the larder. But the dumplings are made of an
oily kind of clay hat the Indian relishes ex-
tremely.

He does not, as was once supposed, eat this
strange food from necessity, but from choice.
You could not offer him anything more to his
taste.

The hut of the Indian is sometimes floored with
wood.

There are trees in the forest, strange as it may
seem, that cannot be made to burn. The Indian
knows which trees they are, and he uses them for

OTHER INHABITANTS OF THE FOREST. 253

the purpose I have mentioned. Fires are con-
stantly made on these wooden floors, but there
is no fear of an accident.

The plague of insects in the forest is very great,
and, to the white man, intolerable.

There is the fire-ant of Guiana, that inflicts
cruel tortures. It is a tiny creature, and would
seem incapable of doing much mischief. But
the ants live in vast communities, and construct
hillocks which the traveller may chance to pass.
Then out rush hosts of ants, and innumerable
pincers wound his skin, until the pain is almost
more than he can bear. It has been compared to
the effect of boiling water poured on the legs and
feet. There is a venom in the bite of the fire-
ant ; and the creature is so tenacious, it will be
torn in pieces rather than quit its hold.

LV.
CORA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD.

[VERY part of the strange country of
Peru is hilly, if not mountainous. The
valleys are little better than ravines; and
the rivers flow with the rushing noise of
torrents, and fall in cascades of foam
as they make their way to the sea.

A journey in Peru is attended with some diffi-
culty. Along the desert strip of land near to
the shore, heat, thirst, and fatigue, to say nothing
of the attacks of robbers, are to be feared. But
the interior of the country is beset with many
dangers and trials worse than these.

Here are precipices of a frightful description,

CORA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD. 255

and glaciers, and avalanches ; and, indeed, all the
risks and perils of an Alpine country.

Sometimes the valley traversed is barely wide
enough to allow the travellers to pass. It might
be called a narrow cleft between two perpen-
dicular rocks, that here and there nearly touch
each other.

Masses of half-loosened rock threaten to fall
from the sides of the precipice every moment.
Nay, such a thing often takes place, and mules,
and even travellers, will be swept into the abyss.

On these mountains, part of the grand range
of the Cordilleras, people are seized with faint-
ing, and a malady like sea-sickness. The height
above the level of the sea is ten thousand feet.

Another disease often met with is blindness.
The brilliance of the sun on the dazzling white of
the snow has that effect ; and the utmost caution
is necessary to protect the eyes from the excessive
glare.

Now and then, the traveller is overtaken by a
terrific storm of thunder and lightning. For
hours the flashes continue with awful brilliancy,

256 CORA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD.

and the white snow looks as if tinged with
blood.

The traveller is obliged to abandon his mule,
and creep under the shelter of some rock or cave
until the storm is over.

And here, too, in his journey over this wild part
of the country, he comes upon those wonderful
bridges that look like mere threads over an abyss.

The bridge is, in fact, merely a thick strip of
hide or undressed leather that is fixed from one
side of the torrent to the other.

A couple more strips are fixed over the chasm,
and made to serve as a balustrade ; and on this
frail support the traveller has to venture his life,
the bridge swaying with an unsteady motion at
every step.

And more dangerous still is another bridge,
made of a mere rope stretched from side to side,
or bank to bank. A rough kind of chair is
fastened to the rope, and in it the traveller seats
himself, and is pulled slowly across by another
rope attached to the chair, and in the hands of
some one on the opposite bank.

CORA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD. 257

The wild table-lands of Peru are called "the
uninhabited." But Nature contrives a scanty
kind of pasture. In some places are patches of the
gentian, a true mountain-flower; and here is the
verbena, and the ornament of our English gardens,
the calceolaria. And here are a few dwarfed-
looking shrubs that the inhabitants of this deso-
late region use for fuel, or to roof their miserable
huts.

And here are some of the animals most valu-
able to man. The beautiful little chinchilla has
a relation here, with warm soft fur that can be
used as a garment. And here is the llama and
the alpaca, and the tribe of creatures with shining
wool that afford us a variety of materials for
clothing. And here is the mighty condor, the
largest of the birds. He soars to the highest
peak of the Andes, and seems to look down on
mountain, forest, and river.

But, in reality, his piercing eye is searching for
prey, and he will presently swoop on some poor
mule that has fallen beneath its burden amid the
bleak passes of the rocks.

(393) 17

258 COEA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD.

Even here, wild as the scenery is, there are
many beautiful birds.

Here is a species of Goose with snowy plum-
age and dark-green wings. And here, in the
swamps and marshes, is the Scarlet Flamingo ;
and here is the Ibis, and the Plover, and the
Gull.

In the sheltered valleys, the traveller seems
to step from, the blasts of winter to the joys of
perpetual spring. From the wretched hut of the
Indian, on the heights yonder, he may, in a few
hours, journey to the land of the Humming-Bird
and the palm. Here he may feast on tropical
fruits, and be surrounded by fields and meadows,
rich in all the plenteousness of harvest.

The elevated country near Lima, the capital of
Peru, is the home of the beautiful bird in the
Picture. It is a tiny creature, and has, as you
see, two of its tail-feathers very long indeed.

Many of the Humming-Birds have been named
after precious stones ; such as the emerald, the
topaz, and the ruby, which their flashing plumage
resembles. The bird in the Picture has given to

CORA SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD. 259

it the musical name of Cora, — a name very
common among the ladies of Peru.

Years ago, Peru was an independent nation,
and governed by the Incas, who were priests as
well as princes. The Peruvians worshipped the
Sun, and had temples in his honour. And there
were maidens who were made priestesses of the
Sun, and were occupied in the idolatrous rites of
their religion, and in keeping alive the fires and
lamps upon the altars.

Cora is the name given to one of these
maidens by a French author in a story he has
written, and the scene of which is laid in ancient
Peru.

The Humming-Bird gets its title of Cora from
that story.

LVL
THE GEEEN-TAILED SYLPH.

[N the tropical world, everything appears to
be on a grand scale. The forests, of which
we have spoken, clothe an extent of
country that seems almost boundless.
Great Britain itself would find ample space
within the limits of one of these forests !

And equally vast are the far-stretching plains
that occur in some parts of South America, and
go by the name of " Llanos."

They reach for more than two hundred thou-
sand miles ; and present a level surface which, at
certain seasons, is scorched by the rays of the
tropical sun.

THE GEEEN-TAILED SYLPH. 261

This is the season when no rain falls, and every
living thing is scorched and blasted by the intoler-
able heat.

But here and there grows a palm, that is the
blessing of the desert. While a particle of mois-
ture remains in the ground, it collects round the
root of the tree, and makes a little pool of water.

At one time of the year even these pools are
dried up.

The palm of which I am speaking is called the
Mauritia, or fan-palm, because its leaves spread
out in the shape of a fan.

A tribe of Indians who live in these plains, sub-
sist almost entirely on the produce of the fan-palm.

The meal-like substance contained in the stem
yields a nutritious article of food, and is made into
bread. The cone-shaped fruit is also eaten, and
the sap is made into a sweet wine.

At times, when the great river Orinoco over-
flows its banks, and inundates the dwellings of the
Indians, they have recourse to the palm as to a
place of refuge.

They climb nimbly up its branches, with the

262 THE GKEEN-TAILED SYLPH.

agility of monkeys. Here they are often obliged
to remain for some time ; and they suspend their
mats in the boughs, and take up their abode
literally with the monkeys.

And a curious sight it is, to those on board
some vessel sailing up the river, to behold the
twinkling of lights in the tree-tops. The lights
are kindled by the Indians in their aerial dwell-
ings.

Another palm grows in the territory of New
Granada, that is of equal service to man.

Its leaves are very large, and are used to thatch
the native huts. But it is the nut that yields the
substance to which I refer.

It yields a clear tasteless juice, that is refreshing
as a beverage in that hot climate ; but if it is
allowed to remain untouched, it soon becomes
white and milky, and in the end sets hard and
solid, like ivory.

This is the vegetable ivory of which so many
toys and fancy articles are made. If the vege-
table ivory is put in water it will soften ; but on
being taken out, it quickly becomes hard again.

THE GKEEN-TAILED SYLPH. 263

It is so like the ivory of the elephant's tusks, that
it cannot be distinguished from it.

The beautiful bird in the Picture lives in this
part of the world, and frequents the banks of the
great rivers.

It belongs to the tribe of Humming-Birds that
have tails more or less forked.

The name of Sylph has been given to it perhaps
on account of its exceeding grace and loveliness.
The colours of its sapphire throat, and emerald
crown, and olive-green feathers, blend harmoni-
ously together. Its long forked green tail is
tipped with yellow.

To this family group belong many birds with
tails deeply forked, and that are of great beauty.
There is the Racket-tailed Humming-Bird, that
has a spoon-like tip at the end of each fork, a little
like the Racquet-tailed Kingfisher; and the Black-
capped Humming-Bird, with a black crest, and
tail-feathers also black, and lengthened to a con-
siderable extent ; and the Swallow-tailed Hum-
ming-Bird, with a tail of indigo blue.

LVII.
THE GREAT CRESTED COQUETTE.

~E bird in the Picture, though it comes last
in the volume, is by no means least in
beauty.

It is one of the loveliest of the beau-
tiful birds.

The shape of its body very much resembles
that of the humming-bird hawk-moth, of which
we have spoken before.

Its wings are small, and of a purplish-brown
colour. The neck and upper part of the body are
clothed with green and gold, and the feathers are
arranged to look like a gorget. The tail is chest-
nut-red, and is slightly forked. But the most

THE GREAT CRESTED COQUETTE. 265

brilliant ornament worn by the Coquette — for
such it is — consists of a splendid orange crest of
a shining red, and the feathers of which rise up
into a point. Nothing can exceed the beauty of
this sparkling crest, as it glitters in the sun. It
gives to the bird an appearance that can hardly
be described.

The Coquette has even been spoken of as a
" winged flame."

In the Picture, it is poising over a flower. Its
wings appear motionless, but in reality they beat
with such swiftness that the eye cannot catch
their movements. The bird utters a cry that
sounds like the word " Hour, hour;" and its bill,
like a dagger, is ready to be plunged into the flower
the moment it perceives an insect. Now and then
the bird has been seen to attack the flower itself,
and tear it in pieces, like some beautiful fury.

The home of the Coquette is in the country
of Bolivia, and along the banks of the great
rivers.

For the rivers in America, like the mountains
and the plains, are on a scale of the utmost mag-

266 THE GREAT CRESTED COQUETTE.

nitude. They wind along with, the grandeur
almost of the. ocean.

The giant river of South America is the
Amazon, that in places spreads out into an ex-
panse of water of a pale yellowish orange, and is
as much as six miles in breadth.

Trunks of trees, and fruit and leaves, and frag-
ments of the forest, float in vast quantities down
the river. And beds of aquatic plants line the
shore. Masses of these plants, looking like sea-
weeds, detach themselves, here and there, and
form floating islands.

On either bank of the river is the dense and
mighty forest, that presents us with a succession
of pictures. Here are stems of different colours,
black, red, yellow, and silvery gray. And here
is the feathery palm; and here are festoons and
garlands of colour, as the parasitic plants droop
from the branches and, in places, touch the
water.

The water's edge is alive with birds. Here are
crowds of water-fowl. Here is the Heron, stand-
ing patiently for hours, his eye fixed on the water

THE GREAT CHESTED COQUETTE. 267

beneath, in which he hopes presently to spy out a
fish. And here is the Scarlet Flamingo, like a
soldier sentinel, and the White Ibis, and many
more.

Overhead fly the sea-birds, the Gull and the
Tern, as though this mighty river were the ocean.
The Gulls utter all night their hoarse cry. By
day they often amuse themselves by sitting in a
row on some floating log of wood in the middle of
the stream, and sailing down, as if they enjoyed
the voyage.

They deposit their eggs in the sand-banks. And
the Indian, who is very observant of 'the habits of
the birds, says, that in the middle of the day they
carry drops of water in their bills, to moisten the
eggs, and prevent them from being spoiled by the
excessive heat.

And here, as in the sea, a shoal of porpoises
will tumble clumsily about. And, to the terror of
those who are sailing on the water, a grim alli-
gator will swim slowly by.

The waters abound in fish. And here is found
a species of salmon, called the "piranga." This

268 THE GREAT CRESTED COQUETTE.

little creature bites terribly, and attacks every-
thing it meets with. The waters will be stained
with the blood of its victim.

A person who chances to bathe or swim in the
neighbourhood of the pirangas is sure to suffer.
He will be lacerated by a number of sharp
teeth, that seem as if they were bent upon devour-
ing him.

The poor stag is now and then actually de-
voured. When pressed by an enemy, he will
plunge into the water, and attempt to swim across ;
but he will be so bitten and wounded by the
merciless pirangas, that he sinks from exhaustion,
and becomes their prey.

Even the huge alligator has his tail often
wounded by the pirangas. But they themselves
are not without enemies to keep them in check.

The Indian catches many of them, for he thinks
them a delicate article of food.

The river forms a line of division between one
tribe of creatures and another.

The monkeys that live in the forest on one side
of the river differ from the monkeys on the other

THE GREAT CRESTED COQUETTE. 269

side. Thus the river is like a sea that divides
territories and races one from the other.

Here are two separate regions teeming with
different occupants. And, as if still further to
keep up the resemblance to the ocean, the hoarse
cry of the Petrel and the Sea-mew is heard ; and
they dart along the water and skim the waves,
as though they mistook them for the briny deep !.

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