ORDER III. SCANSORES. 59 



the air by their long plumage. This mistake was caused by 

 the mode of preparing them for sale, adopted by the natives 

 of the countries they inhabit, who always deprived them of 

 their feet and wings. 



The Humming Birds are the smallest of the class of birds, 

 and at the same time among the most beautiful. Their necks 

 are clothed with small scale-like feathers of a peculiar struc- 

 ture, and a brilliancy almost equal to that of precious stones. 

 They have a long and slender beak, and along tongue divided 

 into two filaments, with which they suck the nectar of flowers. 

 They feed also upon insects. Their wings are exceedingly 

 powerful in proportion to the size of their bodies, and they 

 fly, comparatively, more rapidly than any other birds. They 

 have the faculty of balancing themselves, by means of their 

 wings, as easily as some insects, and are thus enabled to 

 remain stationary in the air, whilst they thrust their beaks 

 into flowers, to possess themselves of the contents. The rapid 

 motion of their wings occasions the buzzing or humming noise 

 with which their flight is accompanied. The smallest species 

 of humming bird is found in South America and some of the 

 West Indian islands. It does not exceed an inch and a quar- 

 ter from the extremity of its beak to that of its tail. 1-~ ^t 



III. Scansores, or Climbers. This order includes ihose/' 

 birds that have the external toe upon each side turned back- 

 ward, which enables them to grasp substances more firmly 

 with their claws, and affords them a more sure support than 

 other birds. This structure adapts them for climbing, as they 

 can cling with considerable force tQ the rough bark and 

 branches of trees. Hence all birds with this form of the feet 

 are of this order, although, strictly speaking, all of them do 

 not climb, whilst some, belonging to others, and without this 

 provision, do. 



The birds of this order generally build their nests in the 

 holes of decayed trees. Their food consists of insects, fruits, 

 or seeds. Among them are the woodpecker, the cuckoo, the 

 toucan, the parrot, &/c. 



The Woodpeckers are strongly characterized by a long, 

 straight, angular beak, narrowed into a wedge at its extremity, 

 and thus fitted for piercing and splitting open the bark of 

 trees ; and by a long and slender tongue, covered towards ita 

 tip with spines or bristles, which are turned backwards, and 

 coated with a thick, viscid secretion. They run in every 

 direction around the trunks and branches of trees, striking them 

 with their beaks, and thrusting their tongues into the holea 



