54(1 (hi the Torpidity ofAnhnals, 



undertake the task. My copy of LancUvar's work, whicfi 

 is, I believe, a very rare one, would be ;n his service. The 

 public pulse might be tried, by the publication of a version 

 of one or two of the books. 



In his 13th book the author treats of Birds. And here 

 it is that he speaks of the humming-bird, its manners, iis^ 

 sleep. See. 



'^ Nil tamen exiguo novit praestantius orbi.s 

 CoUhrio dulcis spoliato niur'mure vocis*, 

 Sed claro tenues penna radiante per artus. 

 Exiguum cqrpus, forsan non pollice majus, 

 (Ouod rostro natura parens munivit acuto 

 Atque artus ferme totos eequante vokicris.) 

 Induit aurato viridantes 1 amine plumas, 

 Et varios miscet tractos a sole colores. 

 lUe volat rapidum Zephyriim supcrante volatu, 

 Et raucum penna tollit stridentc susurrum. 

 Eoscida si vero fragranti educere flore 

 Mella velit rostro, viresque reducere membris, 

 (Ouippe alia quacumque negat se pascere mensii) 

 Sistitur in medio concussis acire pennis, 

 Neetareum donee tercti trahat ore liquorem. 

 Ast adeo promple subtiles concutit alas, 

 Ut vigilcs fugiant oculos, ludantque citata; ; 

 Suspensamque putes volucrem super setherafilo. 

 Sin autem sylvis borealis bruma propinquet, 

 Plusque vagus solito frigescat Jupiter imbrc, 

 Frigida prascipiti linquit Colibrius arva 

 Nostra fuga, linquitque levi viridaria penna, 

 Et longum niontis nigris absconditus umbris 

 Indulget placido, ceu Progne arguta, sopori, 

 Dum luces Aries stellatis noctibus tequet, 

 Yerque novum pratis antiquum reddat hororem.*' 



Rusticatio Mcxicaaa, lib. xiii. v. 217 — 242. 

 All this. Dr. Reeve will perhaps say, may do very well 

 in poetry : but somethint> more positive on the subject of 

 the " placidus sopor" of the colibri is required. Some 

 facts, and therefore something more positive, [ have already 

 mentioned: and many additional facts, wiih experiments, 

 I promise to give in another place. At present I will 

 only add, that Mr. Landivar mentions the torpidity of the 

 humming-bird, not as a fable, but as an established truth. 

 For in the short Moniium prefixed to }iis interesting work, 



* « Avicula hrtc Colihri in America Merldionali, in Scptcntrloxiali vero 

 Qhtpa-viirio<xic\i\XT.'*. Note by i.^divar. 



he 



