72 



CLASS AVE S. 



ORDER PAS SERIN A. 



supporting it, winding round, as in the latter genus, upon the sides of the 

 back of the skull, and ascending upon its surface, and which, being acted 

 on by muscles, are depressed, and, straightening, project the tongue itself 

 to a considerable distance from between the mandibles. Hence, Prince 

 Maximilian observes, the epithet Flowerpecker would be much more appo- 

 site than that of Fly-bird, as it is called by the French. The tongue itself 

 is of a very peculiar form, well adapted, when introduced into the tubes of 

 flowers, to feel there the most minute insects, and to seize and carry them 

 back to their beak. 



The Humming Birds are almost constantly on the wing : and during 

 summer they are seen plunging their long tongues into the bottom of the 

 flowers, and bringing them back loaded with honey or with insect food. 

 More rarely they settle on the petals of the flowers, and perform the same 

 actions. If wearied by a long flight, they rest upon some slender twig in 

 the shade of a dark foliage, and here their nest is usually found. 



Humming Birds seem not to have any song ; they only utter occasionally 

 a little indistinct cry, which Buffon has rendered by the syllables screp, 

 screp ; but more faithfully expressed by Vieillot as fere, fere, uttered with 

 more or less power, and most commonly in a shrill tone. With two ex- 

 ceptions, and those of the straight-billed section, the Humming Birds are 

 found only within the tropics. Brazil, Guiana, the northern parts of Para- 

 guay, and the Antilles, possess them in great numbers. In India and the 

 Asiatic continent they are represented by the Ccerebce ; in Africa by 

 Cinnyris and Nectarinia ; in Australia and the Southern Pacific by Meli- 

 phaga, Myrzomela, &c. The most striking characters of the Humming 

 Birds have been described in glowing, but not exaggerated language, by 

 Buffon "Of all living beings," says he, "they have the greatest elegance 

 of form and brilliancy of colours. Precious stones and metals polished by 

 art are not comparable to this bijou of Nature, who has placed them among 

 birds at the lowest degree in the scale of size, maxime miranda in minimis ; 

 her chef-d'oeuvre is the little Fly-bird, upon which she has heaped all those 

 gifts which, amongst other birds, she has only distributed. Swiftness, 

 rapidity, agility, elegance, and brilliancy of clothing all belong to this little 

 favourite. The emerald, the ruby, the topaz, blaze on its plumage, which 

 it soils not with the dust of the earth, and throughout its aerial life it 

 scarcely for a moment touches the sward. It is always in the air flying 

 from flower to flower : it has their freshness as well as brilliancy, lives on 

 their nectar, and dwells only in those climes where they are constantly re- 

 newed." 



The species, which are numerous, are divided into 1, The Straight- 

 beaded (the Ornismya of Lesson), and 2, The True Humming Birds (Tro- 

 chilus). The bird figured on Plate 6 (T. Lalandii) is a species of the first 

 division. 



UPUPA Hoopoe. But two species of Hoopoes are known, of which one, 

 the Common Hoopoe (U. Epops), is European. It is about eleven inches in 

 length, beak flesh-coloured ; irides brown ; feathers of the crest (which is 

 arched) rufous ; sides of the head, neck, chest, and belly pale buff; back 

 crossed with three half circular bands ; wing-coverts black ; tail-quills black, 

 with a well-marked white patch about their middle ; legs and toes brown, 

 with black claws. The female diners little from the male, except in the crest 

 being much shorter and the colours of the plumage less clear. The Hoopoe 

 (Plate 6) is found throughout the year on the northern coast of Africa; is 

 common in Italy from May to September ; and is found throughout Europe 

 at different times of the year, but principally towards the south ; it, how- 

 ever, migrates northward, and visits Germany, England, Holland, and other 

 northern climes ; but in this country it appears generally in the autumn, 

 after breeding-time has passed. They are fond of basking in the sun, and 

 express their enjoyment by uttering, in a quivering tone, the syllables vec, 

 vec, vec. Their call for another is a sharp note, and occasionally they utter 

 a sound closely resembling the words hoop, hoop, hoop, 



CINSYRIS Sugar Bird. This genus is separated from Cuvier's Certhia, 

 of which it formed a subgenus, in consequence of its forked tongue ; the 

 birds of which it is composed belong to Africa and the Indies, live upon 

 the nectar of flowers and insects, and have generally a pleasing note. Their 



plumage is very beautiful, and generally more or less of a bright golden 

 green. There are about twenty-eight or thirty species. 



MELITIIKKITUS Honey-eaters. This genus was formed by Vieillot 

 from the Certhwe to include the Honey-suckers of the South Seas, and is 

 the same as Temminck's Drepams, They live on honey, on the honeyed 

 juices of plants, and on insects, and are found in the Sandwich Islands. 



POMATORHINUS. The peculiarity of this genus is observed in the horny 

 covering of its nostrils ; but according to Dr. Horsefield's observations it is 

 connected with the Toothbilled family by the strength of its beak, in which 

 respect it approximates to the Mdliphaflce of Lewin, or PhUedones of 

 Cuvier, as also in the connexion of its outer toes and the stoutness of the 

 hinder claw. In its own family it more nearly approaches that division of 

 the genus Cinnyris, which has the beak of moderate length. 



The species are, the Mountain Creeper, found in Java ; the P. Turdinus, 

 and the P. Trivirgatus, natives of New Holland. 



SYNALLAXIS. This genus forms a transition from the Anabates to the 

 Sylvia, resembling the former in the shape of their beak, which is, however, 

 less elevated, and, like them, having great similarity in the distribution of 

 their colours to the Woodpeckers, resembling thorn also in the shape of 

 their tongue, their tall heels, and their graduated tail ; but the general form 

 of their body and their habits are similar to those of the Sylvice. The 

 colour of their plumage is very uniform. They are all natives of South 

 America, from Brazil and Chili to the Straits of Magellan, inhabiting 

 the damp parts of thick woods and open plains covered with bushes and 

 thickets. They are lively, always in motion, creeping through the thick low 

 bushes, hopping upon the branches, and climbing around them like Titmice 

 in search of insects, their larvae, and eggs. Their flight is neither high nor 

 long sustained, but like that of the Sylvia?. Prince Maximilian says he has 

 never heard them sing, but only utter a short call. 



TINACTOR. This genus, formed by Prince Maximilian zu Weid, forms 

 a decided transition from Myiotliera to Dendrocolaptes, but is readily dis- 

 tinguishable ftom them. The species T. Fuscus is found in the woods 

 along the river Itabapuana, between 21 and 22 D South latitude, and be- 

 comes more numerous northward. They are commonly found suspended, 

 or climbing up the trunks of old trees ; but their climbing powers are not 

 very great, for they rarely go far up, and soon descend to the ground. 



Family TOE-TIED ; Syndactyla. 



The outer toe of the Birds forming this Family is nearly as long as the 

 middle one, with which it is connected as far as the second joint. 



ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 



PLATE 6. 

 Genera. Species. Common Name. 



Merops ----- Apiaster - - - - Common Bee-eater. 

 Alcedo Ispida Kingfisher. 



Other Genera of this Family : Buceros, Ceyx, Prionites, Todus. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. MEROPS. Beak slenderish, tetragonal, and compressed, pointed, cutting, 

 slightly arched, and without any tooth ; ridge elevated ; nostrils basal, 

 lateral, roundish, open, but hidden in hairs projecting forward ; tarsi short, 

 four-toed, the outer joined to the middle by membrane as far as the second 

 joint, and that with the inner to the first joint, hind toe having a broad 

 base, its claw the smallest ; the first primary very short, the second longest 

 of all. 



2. ALCEDO. Beak long, straight, stout, angular, somewhat compressed, 

 and laterally pointed ; tongue short ; tail sometimes short ; feet small and 

 weak ; the outer toe united to the next. 



3. BUCEROS (Gr. ftovf, an Ox, and irc'pac, a horn). Beak very large, 

 hooked downwards, notched, and surmounted at its base by a large horny 

 appendage nearly as big as the beak itself, but varying in form, and of a 



