34 SENSE OF HEABINO. 



of taste and discrimination acutely it is both 

 a feeler and a taster, and so in the Humming- 

 bird, we may suppose that this organ, so com- 

 plex, so extensible, so mainly essential in the 

 acquisition of food, is not destitute of those pro- 

 perties which are necessary to render it an effi- 

 cient instrument. 



In all birds the sense of hearing is very acute, 

 as on this faculty their safety greatly depends ; 

 nor in this respect do the Humming-birds mani- 

 fest any inferiority ; on the contrary, we have 

 reason to believe that it is extremely acute, and 

 that they hear each other's shrill calls from con- 

 siderable distances. 



The sense of smell is at a low ratio in most, 

 perhaps all, birds ; for, although the ancients, 

 and many moderns, have regarded the vulture as 

 being highly endowed in this respect, there is 

 some reason to doubt whether this is really the 

 fact. But, be this as it may, there is nothing 

 in the olfactory organs of the Humming-bird to 

 lead us to infer that this sense is especially acute. 

 It is not essential to them, according to their 

 way of life, as an aid to the eye and the tongue. 

 The perfume of the flowers may be delicious, but 

 it is not therefore 'that the Humming-bird should 

 luxuriate in it. The fact is, that the pleasure 

 which man derives through the medium of this 

 sense, is denied to all other animals. It is true 

 that .a dog enjoys the smell of meat, not for the 

 sake of the odour, but because that odour 



