60 PASSERES. NECTARINIAD^E. 



Their food is obtained principally from the inte- 

 rior of flowers; and they are almost constantly 

 engaged, in small groups, on the twigs of trees 

 and bushes, hopping about with a rapid motion, 

 and at the same time moving their wings in a 

 tremulous manner, while they insert their long 

 beaks into the tubular blossoms in succession. 

 Sometimes they have been observed to hover on 

 the wing before a flower while probing its depths, 

 but this is rare, the ordinary mode of procedure 

 being to cling to the twigs. Occasionally they 

 are seen to snap at a passing insect in the air ; 

 and judging from the analogy of the Humming- 

 birds, we should conclude that insects are the 

 principal object of search in the corollas of 

 flowers, the nectarious juice contributing but par- 

 tially to their support. And this is confirmed by 

 the observations of Dr. Andrew Smith, on some 

 species of Southern Africa : " The birds of the 

 genus Cinnyris (or Nectarinia) have generally 

 been regarded as feeding upon the saccharine 

 juices which exist in flowers ; but, as far as my 

 experience goes, I should be inclined to consider 

 them as giving a preference to insects. In those 

 I examined I found the bulk of the contents of 

 the stomach to be insects, though at the same 

 time each contained more or less of a saccharine 

 juice. The acquisition of a certain portion of 

 the latter is not easily to be avoided, considering 

 the manner they insert their bill into flowers ; but 

 the consumption of insects of such a size as I 

 have found in their stomachs must easily be ob- 

 viated, provided these were not agreeable to their 

 palates, and not actually a description of food 

 which they by choice selected." 



