“The sexes vary greatly in the plumage in many species, so much so, that it is with difficulty we recognize them. The male and female of the Mexican Star (_Cynanthus Lucifer_) could not have been known had they not been seen constantly together, and proved to be so by dissection. They breed in Mexico in June and July, and the nest is a beautiful specimen of the architectural talent of these birds; it is neatly constructed with cotton or the down of thistles, to which is fastened on the outside, by some glutinous substance, a white flat lichen resembling ours. The female lays two eggs, perfectly white, and large for the size of the bird, and the Indians informed me they were hatched in three weeks, by the male and female sitting alternately. When attending their young, they attack any bird indiscriminately that approaches the nest. Their motions, when under the influence of anger or fear, are very violent, and their flight rapid as an arrow; the eye cannot follow them, but the shrill, piercing shriek which they utter on the wing, may be heard when the bird is invisible, and often led to their destruction by preparing me for their approach. They attack the eyes of the larger birds, and their sharp needle-like bill is a truly formidable weapon in this kind of warfare. “Nothing can exceed their fierceness when one of their own species invades their territory during the breeding season. Under the influence of jealousy, they become perfect furies; their throats swell, their crests, tails, and wings, expand; they fight in the air (uttering a shrill noise), till one falls exhausted to the ground. I witnessed a combat of this kind near Otumba, during a heavy fall of rain, every separate drop of which I supposed sufficient to have beaten the puny warriors to the earth. “In sleeping, they frequently suspend themselves by the feet, with their heads downwards, in the manner of some parrots. “These birds were great favorites with the ancient Mexicans. They used the feathers as ornaments for their superb mantles in the time of Montezuma, and in embroidering the pictures so much extolled by Cortez. Their name signifies, in the Indian language, beams or locks of the sun. The feathers are still worn by the Indian ladies as ornaments for the ears.” It may be properly remarked here that the statement made by Mr. Bullock, of the habit of these birds sleeping with their heads downwards, has attracted considerable attention, and it has been thought probable that he may have been mistaken, or misinformed, not having been confirmed by subsequent naturalists. It may, however, apply only to some species.