CONCLUDING REMARKS. 125 



So far have we endeavoured to convey a clear 

 idea of the general economy of this anthophilous 

 race of birds, a race respecting which very meagre 

 information has been presented in a compact 

 form to the general reader, or to the lover of 

 nature. It is true that writers on this depart- 

 ment of ornithology have been lavish in their 

 expressions of admiration, and have indulged in 

 phrases of eulogy, almost as glowing in language 

 as are the birds themselves in colour. Nor do 

 we blame them; for who can behold unmoved 

 the glories of a cabinet of Humming-birds ! but 

 after language is exhausted in attempts to de- 

 scribe the effulgent splendour of these radiant 

 " daystars," something yet remains a plain, 

 simple, readable account of their habits and 

 manners, and in the preceding pages this has 

 been our aim. As a knowledge of the multitudi- 

 nous forms of these birds has only been acquired 

 by slow degrees, and is not yet complete, so is it 

 even more protractedly that a knowledge of their 

 economy has been gleaned. Formerly, these 

 birds were supposed to live only upon the nectar 

 of flowers ; we now know that they are essen- 

 tially insectivorous. Formerly, they were re- 

 garded as especial denizens of a torrid region ; 

 we now know that some visit the wilds of Canada 

 in the north, others Patagonia and adjacent 

 islands in the south, and that others are tenants 

 of mountain ranges, and flit and build around the 

 limits of the expanse of perpetual snow. All 



