HUMMING-BIRD 447 



Eupetomena and Sphenoprodus, present a most curious sexual 

 peculiarity, for while the female has nothing remarkable in the 

 form of the wing, in the male the shaft of two or three of the 

 outer primaries is dilated proximally, and bowed near the middle 

 in a manner almost unique among birds? The feet again, diminu- 

 tive as they are, are very diversified in form. In most the tarsus 

 is bare, but in some groups, as Eriocnemis, it is clothed with tufts of 

 the most delicate down, sometimes black, sometimes butf, but more 

 often of a snowy whiteness. In some the toes are weak, nearly 

 equal in length, and mrnished with small rounded nails ; in others 

 they are largely developed, and armed with long and sharp claws. 



Apart from the well-known brilliancy of plumage, of which 

 enough has been here said, many Humming-birds display a large 

 amount of ornamentation in the addition to their attire of crests of 

 various shape and size, elongated ear-tufts, projecting neck- frills, 

 and pendent beards — forked or forming a single point. But it 

 would be impossible here to dwell on a tenth of these beautiful 

 modifications, each of which as it comes to our knowledge excites 

 fresh surprise and exemplifies the ancient adage — maxime miranda 

 in minimis Natura. It must be remarked, however, that there are 

 certain forms which possess little or no brilliant colouring at all, 

 but, as most tropical birds go, are very soberly clad. These are 

 known to trochilidists as " Hermits," and by Mr. Gould have been 

 separated as a subfamily under the name of Phaethornithinse, though 

 Mr. Elliot says he cannot find any characters to distinguish it from 

 the Trochilidai proper. But sight is not the only sense that is affected 

 by Humming-birds. The lai'ge species known as Pterophanes 

 temmincki has a strong musky odour, very similar to that given off 

 by the Petrels, though, so far as appears to be known, that is the 

 only one of them that possesses this property.^ 



All well-informed people are aware that the Trochilidse are a 

 Family peculiar to America and its islands, but one of the com- 

 monest of common errors is the belief that Humming-birds are found 

 in Africa and India — to say nothing even of England. In the first 

 two cases the mistake arises from confounding them with some of 

 the brightly -coloured Nedariniidse (Sun -bird), to which British 

 colonists or residents are apt to apply the better-known name ; but 

 in the last it can be only due to the want of perception Avhich dis- 

 ables the observer from distinsruishing between a bird and an insect 



■^ The specific name of a species of Chrysolampis, commonly spelt by many 

 writers moschitus, would lead to the belief that it was a mistake for moschatus, 

 i.e. "musky," but in truth it originates with their carelessness, for though they 

 quote Linnffius as their authority they can never have referred to his works, or 

 they would have found the word to be Tiiosquitics, the "mosquito" of Oviedo, 

 awkwardly, it is true, Latinized. If emendation be needed, muscatus, after 

 Gesner's example, is iindoubtedly preferable. 



