318° Aves. oo 
In some, the two middle feathers are the longest ‘in the 
male.(1) : 
We may also distinguish those ithich have a straight beak, oF 
one that is nearly so.(2) 
ARAcCHNOTHERA, Temm. 
The long and arcuated beak of the Cinnyris, but stronger, and 
without emargination; the tongue short and cartilaginous; they are 
only found in the Archipelago of India, and feed on Spiders.(3) 
Trocuinus, Lin. 
The Hummingbirds, so celebrated for the metallic lustre of 
their plumage, and chiefly for those plates, brilliant as precious 
stones, which are formed by scaly feathers of a peculiar structure, 
on their throat or head, have a long slender beak, enclosing a tongue, 
which they can protrude at will, like that of the Woodpeckers, 
(and by the same mechanism,) which is split almost to its base, 
forming two filaments employed, as is asserted, in taking up the nec- 
tar from flowers. They also, however, feed on small insects, for we 
have found their stomach filled with them. Their very small feet, 
broad tail, excessively long and narrow wings, short humerus and 
large sternum, which is without emargination, all contribute to form 
a system adapted for great power of flight, similar to that of the 
Swallows. The narrowness of their wing is caused by the rapid 
abbreviation of its quills. By these means, they balance themselves 
; 
gutturalis, 578, 9;—Nectarinia solaris, Tem. Col. $41, 3;—eximia, Tem. Col. 138, 
1, 2;—pectoralis, 1d. Col. 138, 3;—lepida, Lath., Col. 126, 1, and Vieill, Gal. 177, 
2;—Hasselti, T. Col. 376, 3;—coccinogaster, Tem. Col. 388, 3;—Cinn. eques, 
Less. and Garn. Voy. de la Coq. pl. xxxi, f. 1;—javanica, Zool. Ill. 121; some of 
which birds are probably mere varieties of the others. 
(1) Certhia famosa, L. Enl. 83, 1;—C. pulchella, Enl. 670, 1;—C. violacea, 670, 
2;—the Sucrier cardinal, Vaill. Ap. 291;—the Sucrier figuier, Id. 293, f. 2;—Necta- 
rinia metallica, Licht. Ruppel., pl. vii and Col. 347, 1;—Vect. sie cals T..Col. 
126, 3;—V. Kuhlii, T. Col. 376, 1, 2. 
(2) Cinnyris elegans, Vieill. Gal. 177, or Certh. rectirostris, Id. Ois. Dor. II, pl. 
Ixxy. 
(3) gricinctent longirostra, Tem. Col. 84, 1;—A. inornata, Id. Ib. 2. 
N.B. After all these distinctions, we have still to remove from the great genus 
Crrrara, the C. lunafa, Vieill. 61;—C. Novex-Hollandiz, J. White, New 8. W. pl. 
xvi and Ixy; Vieill., 57, and 71;—C. australasiana, Vieill. 55;—C. carunculata, 
Vieill. 69, 70;—C. auriculata, Vieill. 85;—C. cocincinica, Enl. 643, Vicill. 77, 785 
C. spiza, Enl. 578, 2, Edw. 25;—C. seniculus, Vieill. 50;—C. graculina, Vieill. 
87;—C. goruck, Vieill. 88;—C. cxrulea, Vieill. 83;—C. xanthotis, Vicill. 84;—C. 
mellivora, Vieill. 86; which, by their emarginated beak and pencil-like tongue, 
are all Philedons. 
