Page:Natural History, Birds.djvu/76

Rh lost, when seen against the dark tint of the feather lying beneath. On the sides of this beautiful bird spring two axillary tufts of pale lemon-yellow. The breast, belly, and flanks, wings, and tail, are deep black, the latter edged with golden-green. In this species, also, the tail-coverts are of an unusual form, very nearly as long as the feathers of the tail, the webs very ample, loose, and unconnected. The legs, feet and bill are black." This species inhabits the country about Sierra Leone; Le Vaillant found it also near the Fish River, in South Africa, but only during the breeding season. The nest is placed in the worm-eaten trunks of mimosa-trees, and contains four or five eggs, entirely white.

Among vertebrated animals the Humming-birds have an undisputed pre-eminence for beauty; the gorgeous flashings and changing tints, the lustre as of burnished metal, which we have already described in the Sun-birds, being bestowed in still higher perfection and with greater profusion on these. They are also the most minute of the feathered races, many of the species being exceeded both in dimensions and weight, by several English insects. On the other hand, some few species equal a Swallow in size. Their form, too, is elegant and slender, their movements graceful and characterized by the most sprightly vivacity. Their wings are excessively long, and are moved by very powerful muscles, which are attached to a