CLASSIFICATION. 13 



country, near the Straits of Magellan, sporting 

 about in a most exposed place, " during the 

 falling of a snow shower, a proof of the hardy 

 character of this little bird, which, if it does not 

 migrate on the approach of winter to another 

 climate, lingers at least as long as it possibly 

 can. This was the middle of April ; the winter 

 had, in fact, already commenced, and all the 

 mountains around us were clothed with snow, 

 while the ground was also coated with the same 

 dazzling covering." This species was, at that 

 time, in its full plumage. (Zool. Journ. vol. iii. 

 p. 432.) 



But to return. Mr. Swainson, in his Clas- 

 sification of Birds, regards the Trochilidce as 

 exhibiting the full development of the suc- 

 torial perfection belonging to the Tenuirostres. 

 The bill, he observes, appears, from its soft 

 (query soft ?) and delicate structure, to be 

 adapted for no other purpose than to protect a 

 long bifid and flattened tongue, darted by the 

 bird into the nectary of flowers, for the pur- 

 pose of licking the honey, admitting, however, 

 that the Humming-birds are partially insecti- 

 vorous. He contends that there is obviously a 

 strong affinity between the Humming-birds and 

 the Cinnyrida or Sun-birds, although the pre- 

 cise link which connects the two groups is not 

 very palpable. At the same time, he admits 

 their distinction ; a point not unfrequently over- 

 looked by the older writers on ornithology. 



