of certain Birds of Cuba. . 45 



suck insects out of flowers with the nectar ; but the reason of 

 the difference between them is, that the Humming Bird contents 

 itself with soft Tipulidce, while the Pendtdiaus digests hard liij- 

 meiiopttra. That the Trochilidce should take animal food, we 

 perceive from their analogy to the Hirundinida on the one side ; 

 and that they should also take vegetable aliment, we understand 

 from their analogy to the Psittacidce on the other. With both the 

 IJirundinida and Psittacidce it agrees in that peculiar anatomical 

 characteristic, of wanting an emargination to the sternum. 



While on the subject of analogies, I may be allowed to men- 

 tion a series, which, although it is directly deducible from his 

 diagrams, is not expressly mentioned at length by Mr. Vigors. 

 It is valuable, inasmuch as it may serve to show that the per- 

 fection of ornithological structure and intelligence lies among 

 the Scansores. Mr. Vigors has proved by a chain of examples, 

 that the five groups of Insessores represent the five primary 

 groups or orders of Birds ; and so also it would appear that 

 the five groups of Scatisores represent the five groups of Inses- 

 sores, and consequently the orders of Birds. For instance. 

 Toucans belong to the group of Insessores, so that on this point 

 nothing need be said ; but every one must have also remarked 

 the form of beak and prehensile foot of the Parrot to give it an 

 analogy to the Birds of Prey*. 



The backward position of the legs, with reference to the ster- 

 num, and the disappearance of the hind toe, with other points 

 of structure in certain species of Picidce, give a common cha- 

 racter of analogy to them and the Natato7'es'^. The length and 



curvature 



* " Initium facere lubet a Psittaco quam curvirostrem avem et instructam cer^ qua 

 Striges Laniique carent, primo loco post Accipitres ipse quoque Linnaeus posuit, quia 

 dim cum iis quoque invita licet natura conjunxerat." Herm. Tab. Aff. Jtiim. p. 181. 



•\ This analogy is the origin of such specific names as Alca Psittacula and Alca 

 Pica. Hermann says, p. 1.36 : " Pelecanus Carbo rigid^ cauda quam solis cum Plotis 



communem 



