140 ANTHREPTES. 



mandible, even from the base, is remarkably thin ; 

 so much so, indeed, that when the mouth of the 

 bird is shut, the basal marginal edges of the upper 

 mandible fold over those of the lower, so as to 

 leave merely a very narrow stripe of it exposed. 

 Let him then take a species of Anthreptes and the 

 following differences will be observed : independent 

 of the bill being stronger, thicker, and less curved, 

 he will perceive that the under mandible, for its 

 whole length, is not thinner than in the generality of 

 birds, while at its base it is near doubly as thick as 

 it is in the middle. No character can be more tan- 

 gible or better understood than this ; and we have 

 now to show how birds having this structure are con- 

 nected on one side and on the other. 



The immediate affinity of Anthreptes to Cinnyris 

 is too obvious to be insisted upon ; seeing, as we 

 before remarked, that all ornithologists have con- 

 founded the one with the other. From Cinnyris 

 we pass on to the genus Melithreptes of M. Vieillot, 

 the species of which are still mixed up with those 

 of Cinnyris by some of our best writers ; a fact 

 which at once shows how closely they are con- 

 nected. Following Melithreptes comes the genus 

 Diceum of Cuvier, which bears such a close affinity 

 to the next group, or Nectarinea, that they have 

 been, and still may be, mistaken for each other. 

 Cuvier himself, indeed, does not appear to be aware 

 of the true discriminating characters of his own 

 genus. The bill in this group is at its minimum 

 size ; hence it is, that among the American Necta- 



