﻿Svjifts 
  and 
  Humming-birds 
  . 
  

  

  87 
  

  

  contrast 
  the 
  characters 
  tliey 
  find, 
  in 
  the 
  forms 
  they 
  compare, 
  

   in 
  ^'^ 
  synoptical 
  tables/' 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  important 
  to 
  look 
  into 
  the 
  relative 
  Numbers 
  and 
  the 
  

   GrEOGRAPHiCAL 
  DISTRIBUTION 
  of 
  the 
  Swifts 
  and 
  Humming- 
  

   birds^ 
  and 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  followint;- 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Cypsexi. 
  

  

  1. 
  About 
  50 
  species. 
  

  

  2. 
  Warm 
  and 
  temperate 
  parts 
  of 
  

   the 
  world. 
  

  

  Teochili. 
  

  

  1. 
  About 
  -500 
  species. 
  

  

  2. 
  Peculiar 
  to 
  America. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  fact 
  of 
  no 
  little 
  significance 
  that 
  about 
  100 
  species 
  

   of 
  Swallows 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  described, 
  and 
  that, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  the 
  Swifts, 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  all 
  suitable 
  localities 
  

   over 
  the 
  entire 
  globe. 
  How 
  is 
  it 
  that 
  the 
  Swifts 
  are 
  not 
  

   restricted 
  to 
  America, 
  as 
  are 
  the 
  Humming-birds 
  ? 
  

  

  We 
  may 
  next 
  consider 
  their 
  Food 
  and 
  their 
  Means 
  of 
  

   OBTAINING 
  IT, 
  aiid 
  somc 
  few 
  Habits 
  in 
  connection 
  therewith. 
  

   This 
  is 
  what 
  we 
  find 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Cypseli. 
  

   3. 
  Subsist 
  upon 
  insects, 
  usually 
  

   of 
  some 
  considerable 
  size, 
  and 
  al- 
  

   ways 
  captured 
  by 
  the 
  birds 
  during 
  

   rapid 
  flight 
  through 
  the 
  air. 
  

  

  4. 
  Very 
  rarely 
  or 
  never 
  known 
  to 
  

   perch 
  in 
  trees 
  and 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  5. 
  Flight 
  generally 
  performed 
  at 
  

   greater 
  or 
  less 
  heights 
  aboAe 
  any- 
  

   thing 
  on 
  the 
  earth, 
  and 
  of 
  extra- 
  

   ordinary 
  power 
  ; 
  circling, 
  and 
  usu- 
  

   ally 
  of 
  gi-eat 
  rapidity. 
  

  

  Teochili. 
  

  

  3. 
  Subsist 
  upon 
  insects, 
  and 
  

   largely 
  upon 
  the 
  sweets 
  of 
  flowers 
  ; 
  

   the 
  insects 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  minute 
  

   varieties, 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  entirely 
  dif- 
  

   ferent 
  species 
  from 
  those 
  sought 
  by 
  

   the 
  Swifts, 
  and 
  are 
  taken 
  chiefly 
  

   from 
  within 
  the 
  corollse 
  of 
  tubular 
  

   flowers, 
  by 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  the 
  bird's 
  

   long 
  biU, 
  and 
  while 
  it 
  rapidly 
  

   hovers 
  before 
  those 
  receptacles. 
  

  

  4. 
  Veiy 
  frequently 
  perch 
  on 
  the 
  

   twigs 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  plants, 
  after 
  the 
  

   manner 
  of 
  ordinary 
  birds. 
  

  

  5. 
  Flight 
  generally 
  performed 
  at 
  

   gi'eater 
  or 
  less 
  heights 
  above 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  groimd, 
  averaging 
  

   not 
  over 
  ten 
  or 
  fifteen 
  feet. 
  Apart 
  

   from 
  its 
  remarkable 
  power 
  and 
  

   rapidity, 
  very 
  different 
  from 
  the 
  

   flight 
  of 
  Swifts. 
  Frequently 
  un- 
  

   dulating 
  ; 
  darting 
  ; 
  often 
  with 
  

   body 
  stationary 
  and 
  wings 
  in 
  

   rapid 
  motion, 
  kc. 
  

  

  