GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 39 



mango or orange tree, where it warbles in a very 

 weak but very sweet tone a continuous melody for 

 ten minutes at a time ; it has little variety. The 

 others have only a pertinacious chirping." It is 

 evidently to this bird that Mr. Bullock refers in 

 the extract above quoted. 



We have already stated that the Humming- 

 birds are restricted to America and certain ad- 

 jacent islands, none being found in any portion 

 of the old world, or in Australia. To this sub- 

 ject, therefore, we should not advert, were it not 

 for the strenuous assertions which we ourselves 

 have heard, not from the lips of untravelled or 

 uneducated persons, but of persons possessing 

 general information, that these birds are natives 

 of India and Africa as they themselves could 

 testify nor would anything which could be said 

 convince them to the contrary. The fact is this, 

 they had seen the Sun-birds in India, and re- 

 garded them as Humming-birds, although there 

 is no immediate affinity between them; both 

 groups, it is true, are commissioned to a similar 

 work, namely, the destruction of minute insects 

 infesting the petals and nectary of flowers. So 

 far they represent each other in their respective 

 regions, but are not on that account related by 

 affinity to each other. In both groups the 

 colouring is splendid and metallic the flight 

 rapid the powers of wing great. In both 

 groups the species are of small size, and most 

 abundant where a luxuriant vegetation offers 



