CLASSIFICATION. 11 



bill, and tlie habit of hovering on the wing when 

 they feed. They are chiefly separated by the 

 comparatively stronger bill and foot of the Cin- 

 nyridce; but the geographical distribution of 

 the two families points out a line of demarcation. 

 Cuvier places the Sun-birds under his great 

 group Grimpereaux (Certhia Linn.), while he 

 makes the Humming-birds (Trochilus Linn.) a 

 distinct group ; yet he approximates these 

 groups, and evidently considers them, if not 

 closely related, at least as representatives of 

 each other. Speaking of the Sun-birds, he says, 

 " Their beak long and very slender, has the 

 edge of its two mandibles finely serrated : their 

 tongue, which is extensible beyond the beak, 

 terminates in a slight fork. These are small 

 birds, the males of which glitter in the season 

 of love with metallic colouring, and almost rival 

 the effulgence of the Humming-birds, which they 

 represent, as far as this goes (h cet egard), in 

 the old world. They are found principally 

 in Africa and the Indian Archipelago. They 

 live on flowers, the nectar of which they suck 

 up. They are active and lively, and their song 

 is pleasing. Erom their beauty they are in 

 great request for our cabinets; but the plumage 

 of the females, and that of the males, being in 

 the dull season very different from what it is in 

 its brilliancy (in the love season), the discrimi- 

 nation of the species is rendered thereby no 

 easy matter." It is a point not yet fully deter- 



