The beautiful little rufus flame-bearers belong to the genus
Phaethornis. They are known by their long, graduated tails, all the
feathers of which are pinnated--the two central ones extending far
beyond the others. "They may be seen early in the year, darting,
buzzing, and squeaking in the usual manner of their tribe, engaged in
collecting sweets in all the energy of life, appearing like breathing
gems--magic carbuncles of glowing fire--stretching out their glorious
ruffs, as if to emulate the sun itself in splendour. The female sits
towards the close of May, when the males are uncommonly quarrelsome and
vigilant, darting out as the stranger approaches the nest, looking like
angry coals of brilliant fire, returning several times to the attack
with the utmost velocity, at the same time uttering a curious,
reverberating, sharp bleat, somewhat similar to the quivering twang of a
dead twig, and curiously like the real bleat of some small quadruped.
At other times the males may be seen darting high up in the air, and
whirling about each other in great anger and with much velocity.
"The nests are funnel-shaped, measuring about two and a quarter inches
in depth, and one and three-quarters in breadth at the upper part,
composed of mosses, lichens, and feathers woven together with vegetable
fibres, and lined with soft cotton."
This description is given by Mr Nuttal the naturalist, and quoted by
Audubon.