CLASSIFICATION. 15 



viously much depressed at the base, and the tail 

 is broad and even ; while the type of the genus 

 CAMPYLOPTEEUS (example, BLUE-THEOATED 

 SABRE-WING Naturalist's Libr. vol. i. p. 146), 

 seems to be the recurved-billed Humming-birds. 

 Last of all comes the genus PH^ETHOENIS (ex- 

 ample, SUPERCILIOUS HUMMING-BLED Natu- 

 ralist's Libr. vol. ii. p. 119). Hitherto the form 

 of the tail has been square, forked, or rounded ; 

 but in this group the tail is considerably and 

 regularly graduated, the side feathers being very 

 short, and the middle pair far exceeding all the 

 others ; the bill is not merely bent, but so much 

 curved in the typical species, as nearly to as- 

 sume the form of a sickle. The gay and beau- 

 tiful colouring which ornaments the plumage of 

 all the groups, here gives place to a brown co- 

 lour, and even the throats of the male birds are 

 destitute of ornament. The genus Phcethornis, 

 in fact (according to Mr. Swainson's peculiar 

 system), obviously represents the rasorial type 

 (consisting of quails, partridges, fowls, &c.), aud 

 is a miniature likeness of the Hoopoes, or that 

 family with which we began our survey of the 

 Tenuirostres" "With the fanciful system of 

 Mr. Swauison, as far as representation is con- 

 cerned, we have here no concern ; but, as far as 

 regards the natural affinities of the Humming- 

 birds, he agrees in the main with Mr. Vigors. 



Turning to Mr. GL E. Gray's " List of the 

 Genera of Birds " (1841), we find the Trochi- 



