HUMMING-BIRDS. 457 



females. The plumage consists of green, gray, buff, or whitish, and the species for 

 the most part dwell in dark and gloomy situations in the interior of the forests, feed- 

 ing upon spiders and other insects which they capture on the under side of the leaves 

 of great trees, or in the crevices of the bark. Their movements on the wing are 

 very graceful, the beautifully formed tail being exhibited to much advantage. 



The birds of the genus Eutoxeres are distinguished for their very remarkable 

 bills, which are decurved so as to form nearly one third of a circle. They are of 

 rather large size, with very little metallic coloring, the plumage being of usually 

 sombre hues, the throat and breast striated with buff. The tail is cuneate, with 

 pointed feathers. The unusual and peculiar form of the bill is explained when the 

 shape of the flower from which the bird feeds is seen. This is of the shape of a 

 Roman helmet inverted, attached to the stalk by the point of the crest as it were. 

 The bird inserts the bill into the calyx, not by advancing in a direct line to the flower 

 as is usually done, but by first stooping forward until the bill is introduced, and on 

 the point reaching the desired locality, the body is dropped down so that the bird 

 appears to be hanging by the bill. After remaining in this position a moment, by 

 reverse movements to those described, the bill is withdrawn. These birds fly swiftly, 

 with a loud hum and buzzing of the wings. Three species only are known, natives of 

 Central America, Colombia and Ecuador. 



D. G. ELLIOT. 



