144 ANTHREPTES. 



Cinnyris is of its own family; and both consequently 

 represent each other. One of the characters of the 

 Dentirostres is to have the bill in the large majority 

 of the birds composing it much stronger, and, at 

 the same time, shorter than that of the Conirostres. 

 This is precisely the character of Anthreptes, as al- 

 ready explained, in its relation to Cinnyris : and 

 in these two groups (Antkreptes and Dentirostres) 

 we have the common character of a superior strength 

 in the under mandible to what we find in the two 

 first groups. The greatest powers of flight, as we 

 have stated in our propositions on the primary 

 types of nature, are always found in the Fissirostral 

 division. In proof of which we now instance Nee- 

 tarinea in one column, and the swallow tribe 

 (Fissirostres) in the other; in which, unlike their 

 respective congeners, the wing is so much deve- 

 loped that the two first quills are of equal length, 

 and longer than the others. Passing on to the 

 next analogical resemblance, that between Diceum 

 and the Tenuirostres, we find that it verifies our as- 

 sertion, that the most diminutive size always occurs 

 in the Tenuirostral type, joined with a peculiar 

 slenderness of bill. Now the bill of the Humming- 

 birds is well known to be the most slender of all the 

 Insessores. And such is truly the case with Diceum ; 

 for although it is short, yet, considering the stout- 

 ness of its base, the remainder of it is more slender 

 in proportion than any other of the Cinnyrid&< 

 The wings, although equally long, perhaps, in pro- 

 portion as those of Nectarine^ are yet very differ- 



