432 CORACITFORMES CHAP. 
successive years. Humming-birds never lay more than two eggs, 
and sometimes only one; these are plain dull white, and similarly 
shaped at both ends. The young are hatched blind and naked, 
and are then about the size of humble bees: but they leave the 
nest comparatively soon, and are precocious as regards flight. 
The duration of incubation, which is apparently not shared by 
the male, is variously stated at ten, twelve, or even more days, 
and two broods are said to be reared in a season ; the first point 
is clearly doubtful; but, considering the extent of the season fit 
for nidification, the latter is not improbable. The parents have 
been known to add to a nest, as the young outgrew it. The 
cock courts the hen most assiduously, circling around her with 
dilated throat and swelling plumage, and searching for food to 
offer, while he carefully watches over her when sitting. Hum- 
ming-birds have been often said to be killed with water in place 
of lead, but in truth diminutive pellets of the latter are used, as 
an alternative to the blow-pipe with its clay ball, or to bird- 
lime. Immense quantities are exported for decorative purposes, 
and the Mexicans make pictures of the feathers. 
The late Mr. Salvin, who divided the Family into groups by the 
serrationof the beak,’ recognised a hundred and twenty-seven genera 
with some five hundred species, while Audubon, Bates, Gosse, Gould, 
Mulsant, Wilson and Waterton, Count Berlepsch, Messrs. Elliot, 
Hartert, Ridgway, and Wallace may be mentioned among other 
“ Trochilidists.” The largest form, Patagona gigas, measures nearly 
nine inches, Mellisuga minima and others about two and a half. 
(1) Forms with distinctly serrated beaks. Heliothrix of Central 
and South America southward to Brazil contains three members 
with wedge-shaped bills and blue tufts behind the ears. The 
females differ httle from the males in colour, but have longer 
tails.  Augastes contains the two “ Vizor-bearers” of South-East 
Brazil, so-called from the appearance of the head and throat ; 
A. lumachellus is bronzy green, with a very brilliant green 
throat terminated by a red line, a lttle blue shewing between 
these two colours: the crown is velvety black, the pectoral band 
white, the tail bright bronzy-red. The female is less highly 
coloured and has a green head. Rhamphodon naevius of the 
same country, and <Androdon aequatorialis of Colombia and 
Ecuador, have the bill strongly hooked; the latter is brownish- 
1 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. 1892, p. 28. 
