HABITS OF NYMPHICUS:- This exceedingly shy and rather silent species is difficult to observe and is very easily overlooked or missed until one has had some acquaintance with the bird and knows something of its peculiarities. Numbers may be heard in forests when a sudden noise such as a gun shot is made, but such birds will never be seen or heard after their alarm calls given immediately after the noise, and though present will elude all attempts to sight them and will not call again. Once they have seen humans or know of observers' presence or the presence of danger (hawks, etc.) they become very shy and wary and it becomes impossible to do any further watching of those birds as they avoid danger in a rather un- usual manner. They seldom if ever fly more than 40 to 50 yards and generally only 20 yards from the danger and hide by freezing in a well hidden spot, among leaves behind a large tree bole or such and from safety one or more keep watch on the observer with their exceedingly keen eyesight, and at his least attempt at closer approach silently move further off, generally keeping some screen (leaves to tree trunks) between observer and themselves, seldom giving ob- server more than a very fleeting glimpse of them and gen- erally observer only hears a faint "feather-on-air" noise or no more than feels a sense of movement (almost shadow- like). The coloration of the species, an admixture of blue and deep green, blends perfectly with the somewhat sombre gloomy surroundings they generally frequent in the dense forest and their skill in picking the even darker shades in those deep, dull green surroundings shows an exceedingly acute sense of colour protection. An observer may be