New-York tribune., 1880-01-11

This bro is called by my mountaineer friends, who
name. ani applicabe one Tor evening" IN
Whistler" aferwsfd had one ID captivity oI s%evera %
weeks, and notes on his behavior song ana lo1u W. t
fiji column that my readers might think cOuld De put
to better use, but which would be yauaoe 10 me me
0rnboagist the first records O an Intimate aeqn"
ance with this species
At later period of his forest journey, the author
discovers a new and peculiar species called the
Sunset Bird" which acts the woodman's CLOCK
telling him when ii is time TO 90 TO bed Hail an
hour before sunrise it uters its characteristic cry
and half An hour before sunset and during the day
it is silent Listen" SAID the guide. In Jew mo-
ments there rang through the forest werd anu
mournfu cry, which was repeated by another piru
and another all around the forest, the one answer
ing the other In less than half an hour the dark
ness had set n and the cries ceased. in the morn
ing the author ventured out into the wood before
daylight. He eazed eagerly but saw moth
ing The sound was repeated, and by otper
birds, but nothing could be distinguished
in the darkness, however near. He waited impa-
tiently for the dawn, and was soon rewarded by the
sight of the bird 1t was dusky body, so small
that he did not believe it cou.d be the author OF
So loud a cry Bat in few minutes he noticed u
i'm the very act and while the final cadence was
still quvering the air. he brought 1t to the ground
He was certain that il was q new bird, and wrote
description of il on the the spot. He consigned the
soecimen TO the Museum at Washington, and after
ward received notice from the omithologsts that
it was a new species and had been named after the
discoverer The author has already referred TO the
humming birds, of which he subsequently, made
prolonged study presenting the results oil his ihVes
tgations in an interesting passage:-
Four srecies OF hummingbirds greeted me in my first
camp in the tropics They fairly t up the valley Win
their cleaning coats not bush or tree I'D hover tnaV
did have moro lowering above IL from morn
inp night.
Until the New World was discovered, the humming-
the Arcio Circle the Antarctic it is ever American
and extends IT'S migrations beyond te nnt o , we
this is the most beautiful the most minute Depending
mo % @ sgs a ike the BIRD paradise upon
no brOad-spread glaring coors IKE the parrolls ~
IN fact the gem Of the feathered world so often nave
poet and naturalist compared it, in the branee OF us
hashaS ceOs to he e T he ea a ine and es but
that a topaz, now an emerald turquoise OF d
East Of the Mississippi and North of Florida there ia
hut one species that be called regular VISITOR;
this is the wcllknown Tuby-thrOated hnImng-brd OF
the North As we 90 south lind them increa aslng,
both in species and In number, uhtlI Ihe region VI
greatest abundance Is reached near the Equator
In DomInica halfway down the Antilles, and sixteen
degrees north OF the Equator io9nd oui specG 10 re-
place the sin gle visiting the NOrth the saesI oi
which were large the ruby throat and the largest
two inches longer. -,
The latter is called the garnet-throaied hummer ana
is five and Oue-half inches In length ana Sven IN
stretch of wing II Is the most a1nnd a5 mT Where vi e
are gardens of plaDtains and fragrant hoWeis Is O
an1 ZEE
from beak TO breast. each feather OF which j. semi
crcular aud OF the deepest crimson with goid renee
tions I should be poised IN ar h0verlhg above
flower or preenng itself upon dry branch, with tue
full blaze OF trOpic sunshine ganclng from IT'S lToh'
for one TO form an adequate conception OF It's beauty
The HACK is black with blue shade like biuc-baek
velvets wing and taicoverts rich green WIN pioiIe i
reAectons all the feathers be 1t noticed changing WIN
every cbt that falls upon thom There are two speces
that measure incn less in length that nave INC GRIM
son garnet throat replaced by meaine green ana
violet ana WIN % nsShs o nttls Fellow found every
II IN
the town and tue barren hills FROM M" eeceho
motions he ia called the "fOuou" or craZycrazy TOT
he darts hibor. thither, up, down. round and round
with seemingly aimless purpose lie Is soper ID nue'
But this little helmet OF metallic green now shining
golden now purple even, and steelbue hashes every
generally carried with the beak pointing downward so
that the is always seen TO the best adyanta!e
There were little ohassers who used TO supply
me with every bug and bird within their reach. IL
takes a boy especially boy OF the woods 70 hhd oul
the haunts Of the denizens OF the forest ana ou ioa
these little collectors specimens would have been
fewer In number Lei US follow little Dam the eioest
and sharpest of the hummngblrd hunters as lie goes
out for birds First he goes 10 tree called the noun
tain palm, which replaces me cocoa pam ~ 'n9
tans the latte: growing only along the c9as, Bcne,n
the tree some fallen leaves, hieen ieet IN ienrh
these he selzes and strips leaving the md-rib bare
long, slender steIn taperng to point op1n had s1 Up
ne places lump OF brdime, 10 make when ne nau COL
csrd IL to e Consistency Of soft wax scattered
the savanna are many cuinps OF nowerlng
are dashing inserting their beaks in the honeyed coro
Lass after active foays resting upon s1ne Dre
ard bush upon which one Of these little beauties is
resting the hunter m Te sff bird ewes carioasy but
fearessy as 10 approaches his restngplsct even peck
beating the with buzzng wings I'm vain Efforts TO es
cape the clutches OF that tenacious gum; l.,
The humming-bird brought me alive. would place IN
n large gauze-covered box but they seldom survived
many days, Notwithstanding great care ~ exposed 20
the light they kept up constant huttering uni tbe
muscles Of their wings became 30 SUN iaoy ae STa on
close s%S H"S nsy & their wisS eav quietly and
though fitting now and then to the front OF tne 1S1
percb living an occasional chrp and dressing their
feathers sereney asif 10 the open ar Ihey wonio
lures of light and sunshine. and cannot exist wth0ut
You may give their avore food of honey and In.
dripping from them. and yet, despite your tenderest
| care, they will droOp aud die ,.,.,
cent beings Though have ssmsed more than one 70
lose its life never did It without psng as tnSugh
distance. and have him fall at distance without .
ss not feeble ad te.Ss Of the .eOs Wings
the expiring glance of the fastdmmng eye the panfu,
= soyer~ah how often has my conscience reproached
me when LOOKING upon such scene AGAIN ana again
oniy the Thought doing this work In the inter
est of science kept me to my purpo.e. ,o.. oosrv
than the Others aud rarely survives two or three days
Every morning would introduce 90 nougn en- OF nissn,Y
diving into the flowers with great eaeerness. SueaI
dissolved In water ana diu,eo money! ~u oGpg oh tbcm
by their feet would place their beaks In bOte OF
syrup when they would rapidly eec neif tonguss anu
Withdraw them repeating this operation until satsned
The long slender tube at that time looks like the tongue
of serpent II s deeply cleft. or bfurcated Iney
never displayed fear but would readily aghf upon my
dneer and would glance fearessy up at me watching
| an opportunty, however, for escape.
In some OF the islands Martinique especially the boys
shoot small birds with pellets OF clay or hard round
seeds through hollow canes lined with zinc or grass
| They kill n great many In this way. -
The week before leaving America for the West indies
was the guest friend, who day came IN with an
odd-loong cane In his hand, and said This Is gun
am goUg TO give you 10 use In the West Indies IL is
q shn no o.
the more highly when tell you that 1t once belonged 10
DR. BRYANT who used in his numerous excursions In the
Raharnas" DR.. Bryant naturalist OF note and donor
TO the Boston Society OF Natural History OF the unsur
passed La Fresuaye collection Of birds. spent many