286 THE FEATHERED TRIBES. 



verified in this instance by facts, for the continents of Asia and Africa arc tlio strongholds 

 of this race of fairy birds, which vie with the Trochilidw in brilliancy ; and though they 

 differ in many of the essential parts of their structure, they still agree by holding the 

 same place in the ornithological economj' of the countries thej' inhabit. 



The sun-birds are peculiarly restricted to the tropics of Asia and Africa ; but when we 

 take the form as a fomily, we shall find it extending far beyond that range, and reaching 

 on the one hand to the numerous islands in the Pacific Ocean, while in another direction 

 a few members occur in South America and the adjacent islands, in both instances 

 forming the exception in the amount of numbers ; the form in the first being the one 

 pccidiarly taken up by the MeJij)lia(ii(hv, or honey-suckers ; in the latter by numerous 

 and abundant species of humming-birds. 



The humming-birds, although they want the wide gape and other accessories around 

 the mouth provisional for capturing insects in flight, in form most closely resemble the 

 fissirostral genera, being deficient in the members particularly adapted for perching, 

 while they possess an extraordinary development of those proper for flight. The want 

 of adaptation, however, in other members, prevents the wings being used to pursue an 

 insect prey, though their great development is as necessary to the manner in which they 

 feed, by hovering above the beautiful blossoms which afford a sustenance in part alike 

 to them and to a host of minute insects, and also to perform the lengthened migrations 

 which these species are known to undertake annualh'. In the sun-birds, or NcctariniiKid', 

 we see no such extraordinary development of wing, and their legs and feet, or, in other 

 words, their provisions for perching, are ctpial to those of the majority of the ImcisnorcH, 

 and show at once a marked ditferonco between the structure of the same parts in truly 

 fissirostral birds, where they are always extremely weak, comparatively unfitted for 

 perching or settling on the ground, and where, in fact, they are constructed upon that 

 model which will be least iucoiumodious to the bird in pursuing its prey with rapidity 

 through the air, or in performing very long migrations. The nectariferous juices of 

 flowers have also been considered as the chief food of the sun-birds, at least during 

 certain seasons of the year ; but we iind the manner of seeking for these to be very 

 different from the hovering flight of the humming-birds ; the NedanniucUn always 

 perching first, and exhibiting more similarity, in passing from blossom to blossom, to the 

 activity of some of our snuill warblers, rapidly examining the flowers of one plant, and 

 immediately passing oif to another, uttering, during the while, a shrill and impatient 

 call. Neither do the species perform extensive migrations, at least where a continued 

 flight has to be maintained. In the Old World the change of station is chiefly from 

 the town and coast districts to the more exalted regions where it is possible a succession 

 of food may be acquired ; or, if the range is more extensive, it is performed over tracts, 

 or coastwise, when; resting-places may be found during its continuance. In both groups 

 the bill and the tongue are inserted into the tubes, and withdraw from them the hone}- and 

 the small insects wliich arc; attracted .by it. In both the mechanism of the tongue is in 

 different manners adapted for this mode of deriving nourishment, and in both arc the 

 members of the family extremely numerous, social in their habits, and probably intended 

 in their respective countries as one of the means for the fructification ot plants. 



In their nidification the sun-birds present some diflference from the humming-birds, 

 though we, perhaps, know less about the nests and the places where their fabric is 

 reared ; the exquisite structure and curious small size of those of the latter being objects 

 of request or curiosity even to many who do not generally take an interest in such pro- 

 ductions. Many of the sun-birds breed in the clefts and hollows of worm eaten trunks 

 of trees, where no nest possessing external interest is found;* others place the nest 



• Viiillaiit, biuricr oblauisnul, S. \'ilinii. 



