r-verdant foliage rises upon all sides of the
open space like a wall, covered with the most elegant and fragrant
flowers, I have been charmed by the familiar fearlessness and lustrous
splendour of these little creatures. Here sitting down on a prostrate
log in the shadow, I have watched them sipping all around, flitting to
and fro, coming and going, every moment disappearing in the sombre
shade, or suddenly flashing out, with a whirr like that of a
spinning-wheel, into the bright sunshine. Bold and unsuspecting, they
might be seen exploring bush after bush, and coming, while I remained
motionless, even within arm's length of me, busily rifling all the
blossoms in rapid succession, regularly quartering the surface of some
favourite shrub, so as to lose none, and of course, in their zeal,
frequently probing the same flower again and again. Sometimes it would
be the Mango, suspending himself on whirring pinions in front of the
flowers, his broadly-expanded tail-feathers of the richest violet, his
body plumage all green and gold, and his cheeks and throat blazing, in
the changing light, with the radiance now of the ruby, now of the
amethyst, now of the sapphire, and now becoming for an instant the most
intense black. But much more commonly on these occasions was I visited
by the elegant Long-tail, whose slender form, black velvet crest,
emerald bosom, and long tail-plumes, distinguish it as one of the
_principes_ of this patrician race. This lovely little gem would be
hovering about, half-a-dozen visible at the same moment, threading the
projecting branches, now probing here, now there, one moment above a
flower and bending down to it, the next hanging below it, and thrusting
up its crimson beak to kiss its nectar-tube from beneath, the cloudy
wings on each side vibrating with a noise like that of a factory wheel,
and its entire throat, breast and belly clothed in scaly plumage of the
richest green, contrasted finely with the velvety black of all beside.
This scaly plumage would flash brilliantly back the sun's light, like a
noble emerald in the crown of a king; then, by the slightest possible
turn of the bird, it would become black, all the light being absorbed;
then, on another movement, it would seem a dark rich olive, and in an
instant flame forth again with emerald effulgence, over which olive and
black clouds were momentarily passing and repassing.

The phenomenon of this changing lustre is worthy of more careful
atte