286 VERTEBRATA. AVES. 



lightness like an unencumbered balloon, when the 

 cords are cut. It is more like the flight of a dragon- 

 fly than anything else, but much more buoyant." 



The Humming-birds, of which more than a hun- 

 dred species are already known, are confined to the 

 western hemisphere, and chiefly to the sunny isles 

 of the West Indies, and the tropical regions of 

 South America, where they may be seen at all hours 

 of the day, darting in arrowy flight like shooting 

 stars, or suddenly arresting their course to poise 

 themselves in front of some deep flower, their wings 

 only appearing as a little cloud, from the rapidity 

 of their vibration, and the long tongue protruded 

 and probing to the very bottom, or if the flower 

 be large, as the great Bignonias and Ipomeas, the 

 whole head is fearlessly inserted. The writer of 

 this work has often been struck with the strong 

 resemblance which their manners bear to those of 

 the great Hawkmoths, borne out also by the loud 

 hum which each makes in the swift vibration of 

 the wings. They are fearless and familiar in their 

 habits, and are easily reconciled to confinement ; 

 numerous instances are recorded of their having been 

 kept in captivity in their own region : and in one 

 solitary case they have been brought to England. 

 A female ( T. Mango\ with the nest and eggs, was 

 put on board ship, where the young were hatched. 

 The mother soon died, but the young were brought 

 to England, and were some time in the possession 

 of Lady Hammond. Both of them died, however, 

 in a few weeks. At a meeting of the Zoological 



