16 THE NATURALIST. 



ordinarily developed. The exterior outline of the wing is very much curved, and the 

 first quill is always longest, the others shortening gradually. The secondaries are 

 very short, and the lesser wing-coverts occupy little space. The plumulets of the 

 quills are narrow and compact, firmly united together, forming a substance, when 

 used, almost like a thin plate of whalebone, and which, by presenting resistance to 

 the air when struck, and allowing no part to pass through the webs, as in nocturnal 

 feeding birds, produces the humming sound which is heard during their suspension, 

 and whence their common name has been applied. 



The organ of next importance, as directing the flight, is the tail. This is always 

 powerful, and presents every modification which we find in those birds endowed with 

 powerful or rapid flight. 



The bill is always an important organ in birds. This family presents great modifi- 

 cation of form, which will be seen by inspecting the plates, and will be further 

 illustrated when we characterize the divisions. 



The tongue is very long, retractile, and capable of being darted out with considera- 

 ble force. It is composed of two muscular tubes joined together for the greater part 

 of their length ; and terminated in a spoonlike point on the upper surface. They 

 assist in retaining the different substances, which are immediately conveyed to the 

 opening of the cesophagus by the contractility of the tubes. 



Their feet are very small and slender. The claws are rather large in proportion, 

 very much hooked, very sharp, and may thereby assist in securing a firmer grasp. 



TROCHILUS ORNATUS. 



THE TUFT-NECKED HUMMING-BIRD. 



Among the curious forms assumed by the plumage of the humming-birds, we have 

 seen various feathered excrescences issuing from different parts of the body, and in 

 none are they so singular as in the tribe which our present species represent. They 

 are called, by the French, coquets. 



In this bird, in addition to an ample crest of clear reddish chestnut upon the head, 

 the sides of the neck are adorned with tufts of narrow feathers, almost an inch in 

 length ; they are composed of from ten to twenty plumes, of the same color with the 

 crest, and are terminated with a broadened tip of clear shining green. The throat and 

 upper part of the breast, with the forehead, bordering the rufous crest, is covered 

 with bright emerald-green scaly feathers, which are separated from the upper parts by 

 a line of a paler shade running through the eyes to the rictus, and from the lower 

 part of the breast and belly, by a band of rufous of the same tint with the crest ; the 

 upper parts are of a bronzed green, with steel-blue reflections; arid this is again sepa- 

 rated from the tail by a conspicuous band of grayish white. The tail is broad and 

 ample ; the centre feathers greenish ; the others deep chestnut red, with purplish re- 

 flections. See Plate, No. 1 . 



TROCHILUS CORA. 



THE CORA HUMMING-BIRD. 



The whole length of this little bird is about five inches five lines, of which the tail 

 makes three inches and two lines. The upper part of the head, back, rump, and 



