296 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



FiCx.e.— H(-ad of Itliam- 

 phomicron microrhyn- 

 clncm. 



microrhynchum, it is only a quarter of an inch in lengtli. " The bill of 

 I>. ensi/er, which is more than 5 inches long, and which contains a 

 tongue capable of being protruded nearly as far beyond 

 its tip, is most admirably fitted for the exploration of 

 the lengthened and pendent corrollas of tbe Brug- 

 mansiw, while the short-billed Leshiw cling to the 

 npper portion of those flowers, pierce tlieir bases, and 

 with the delicate feelers at the extremities of the 

 tongue, readily secure tbe insects which there abound." 

 In the various genera there is every gradation from 

 a perfectly straight bill to one that is decidedly curved 

 or arched ; but in one genus {Eutoxercs) it is so greatly 

 decurved as to constitute almost one-third of a circle, 

 thus justifying the very appropriate name of Sickle- 

 billed Hummers, by which the birds of this genus are 

 known. This variation in the length and shape of the 

 bill, it may be remarked, is necessi- 

 tated by some peculiarity of the 

 flower in which, chiefly or exclu- 

 sively, the bird seeks its food. For 

 example, the excessively lengthened 

 beak of the '^ sword bearer" {Doci- 

 mastes), as explained above, is neces- 

 sary for reaching thehouey- glands of very long trumpet- 

 shaped blossoms, while the hook-like beak of the 

 "sickle bill" is evidently designed for insertion into 

 the curved throat of certain orchids, palms, or other 

 flowers of unusual form. 



The manner in which the Sickle-billed Humming 

 Bird feeds is thus described by Br. J. King Merritt in 

 the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of^ew 

 York, vol. 6, p. 139: 



One day, while out hunting a short distance from camp, I was 

 startled by the swift approach of a small object through the 

 dense thicket, which darted like a rifle-bullet past me, with a 

 loud hum aud buzzing of the wings. Indeed it was this great 

 noise that accompanied its flight that especially attracted ray 

 attention as something iincommon. 

 The bird continued its flight but a short distauce beyond the spot where I stood, 

 when it suddenly stopped in its rapid course directly in front of a flower. There for 

 a moment poising itself in this position it darted upon the flower in a peculiar manner; 

 in fact, the movements which now followed were exceedingly curious. Instead of in- 

 serting its beak in the calyx by advancing in a direct line toward the flower, as cus- 

 tomary with this class of birds, this one performed a curvilinear movement, at first 

 stooping forward while it introduced its beak into the calyx, and then, when appar- 

 ently the point of the beak had reached the desired locality in the flower, its body 

 suddenly dropped downwards, so that it seemed as though it was suspended from the 

 flower by the beak. That this was not actually the case the continued rapid move- 

 ment of its wings demonstrated beyond a doubt. In this position it remained the 



Fio. 5.— Head of Doci- 

 tnastes ensiferus. 



