The crimson topaz, or ara humming-bird (Topaza pella), vies with it in
beauty. Its hues are of a deeper crimson. The tail is of a
reddish-buff, except the two central feathers, which are of the same hue
as the preceding. Unlike most humming-birds, it is of a shy and
retiring disposition, and seldom ventures from among the deep shades of
the forest; and then only at early dawn, or late in the evening, when it
may be seen darting across the stream in search of insects, on which it
chiefly feeds.