large pendant plume or tassel.  This also the bird can either press to its breast, so as to be scarcely visible, or can swell out, so as almost to conceal the forepart of its body.  In the female the crest and the neck-plume are less developed, and she is altogether a smaller and much less handsome bird.  It inhabits the flooded islands of the Rio Negro and the Solimoes, never appearing on the mainland.  It feeds on fruits, and utters a loud, hoarse cry, like some deep musical instrument; whence its Indian name, Uera-mimbe, “trumpet-bird.”  The whole of the neck, where the plume of feathers springs from, is covered internally with a thick coat of hard, muscular fat, very difficult to be cleaned away,—­which in preparing the skins, must be done, as it would putrefy, and cause the feathers to drop off.  The birds are tolerably abundant, but are shy, and perch on the highest trees, and, being very muscular, will not fall unless severely wounded.

[Illustration]

[Illustration:  THE UMBRELLA BIRD.]

HUMMING BIRDS

(FROM THE NATURALIST IN NICARAGUA.)

BY THOMAS G. BELT, F.G.S.

[Illustration]

Soon after crossing the muddy Artigua below Pavon, a beautifully clear and sparkling brook is reached, coming down to join its pure waters with the soiled river below.  In the evening this was a favorite resort of many birds that came to drink at the pellucid stream, or catch insects playing above the water.  Amongst the last was the beautiful blue, green and white humming-bird; the head and neck deep metallic-blue, bordered on the back by a pure white collar over the shoulders, followed by deep metallic-green; on the underside the blue neck is succeeded by green, the green from the centre of the breast to the end of the tail by pure white; the tail can be expanded to a half circle, and each feather widening towards the end makes the semicircle complete around the edge.  When catching the ephemeridae that play above the water, the tail is not expanded:  it is reserved for times of courtship.  I have seen the female sitting quietly on a branch, and two males displaying their charms in front of her.  One would shoot up like a rocket, than suddenly expanding the snow-white tail like an inverted parachute, slowly descend in front of her, turning round gradually to show off both back and front.  The effect was heightened by the wings being invisible from a distance of a few yards, both from their great velocity of movement and from not having the metallic lustre of the rest of the body.  The expanded white tail covered more space than all the rest of the bird, and was evidently the grand feature in the performance.  Whilst one was descending, the other would shoot up and come slowly down expanded.  The entertainment would end in a fight between the two performers; but whether the most beautiful or the most pugnacious was the accepted suitor, I know not.  Another fine humming-bird