128 PASSERES. TROCHILID^E. 



his figure was taken from a dried specimen. He 

 says, "it is beyond contradiction the smallest of 

 all those yet known, and without doubt is the 

 'very little Humming-bird' of voyagers. Its length 

 is 2 inches and 4 lines." But that it is the Tro- 

 chilus minimus of Linnaeus, Buffon, Edwards, and 

 Latham, who can imagine, that puts any faith in 

 testimony ? Edwards' figure, which is said to be 

 ."of its natural bigness," measures l-j 4 ^ inch; that 

 in the PL Enl. 276. fig. 1, is about 13L; and 

 Latham, who says expressly, " / have received this 

 from Jamaica," gives its total length 1 J inch, and that 

 of its beak 3^ lines. It is true the description 

 as to colouring, &c., bears a very close resemblance 

 to mine, but no one accustomed to the precision of 

 science could mistake 2J inches for 1 J !* Neither is 

 it possible that these minute specimens can be the 

 young of the present species; for nestling Humming- 

 birds, even when not half-fledged, are very little less 

 in size than the adult, and, when able to leave the 

 nest, are scarcely to be distinguished as to dimen- 

 sions. Moreover, having reared this species I can 

 speak positively. But Mr. Bullock records having 

 obtained in Jamaica a species whose body was but 

 half an inch in length ; this specimen is understood 

 to have become the possession of the late George 

 Loddiges, Esq., and I have been assured by an 



* Yet Sloane describes bis " Least Humming-bird," (Jam. 308) as 

 " about 1^ inch long, from the end of the bill to that of the tail," while 

 of his figure the bill alone measures f inch, and the whole bird 2^. 

 As the worthy Doctor, however, is said to have taken his admeasure- 

 ments with his thumb-nail.! this slight variation is the less surprising. 



