316 FOREIGN BIRDS. 



Around him the Vultures obediently flew : 

 The Crested, the Aura, and Aquiline too : 

 And even the Papa of beautiful dyes, 

 With /n^r^M vies pendulous, glossy pearl eyes — 

 Of royal external that homage might bring — 

 A subject was here, although elsewhere a King. 



The Parrots* presented a numerous host; 

 The Petrels were few, just arrived on the coast. 

 The HuMMiNG-BiRDs (^) gaudily glow'd midst the 



throng, 

 In their green and their gold as they flutter'd along ; 



(3) Order, Pic^, {Linn.) Humming-Bird, the Red- 

 throated, the Supercilious, the Least. 



The genus Trochilus, (Linn.) or Humming-bird, consisis 

 of above ninety species, found, chiefly, in the tropical regions 

 of America and the West Indies; indeed, it has been stated, that 

 no humming-bird has ever been seen in the old world ; one, 

 however, has been mentioned as an inhabitant of the Cape of 

 Good Hope. About half the species has a curved, the other 

 a straight bill, which is subulate, filiform, and tubular at the tip, 

 the upper mandible sheathing the lower ; the tongue is also 

 filiform, the two threads coalescing, tubular. This genus is the 

 least in size of the race of birds. They feed, it is said, on the 

 nectar of flowers; but there is reason for believing, from the 

 statement of Wilson in regard to the Redthroated'humming- 

 hirdy that they feed also on small inserts. They are almost 

 continually on the wing, fluttering like bees, and making a 

 humming noise, whence their name. Of all animated beings, 

 these birds are the most elegant and brilliant ; their plumage 



• For a description of the Pari ot, see forward. 



