PERCHING BIRDS. 159 
cies represented in Fig. 129 (p.158). The muscles of their 
wings are larger, in proportion to the size of the body, 
than those of any other bird. Hence their extraordinary 
power of flight, enabling them to dart with the velocity 
of an arrow, or to remain suspended in the air over a flow- 
er while they extract the honey or take the insects which 
are there. The humming sound, from which their name 
comes, is produced by the exceedingly rapid movement 
of the wings. The tongue is a curious instrument, being 
split into two tubular filaments, which can be suddenly 
~ darted out to a con- 
~ siderable distance. 
Our common North- 
ern Humming - bird, 
Fig. 130, comes north 
as late as May. The 
Y male bird has a 
|), changeable ruby-col- 
ored throat. There 
is avery brilliant spe- 
cies found as far north 
on the western coast 
of America as Noot- 
ka Sound, the male 
haying a crimson and copper colored throat. Nuttal 
speaks of it as seeming like “a breathing gem or magic 
carbuncle of glowing fire” as it flies about in search of 
its food. ' 
262. While the Humming-birds are peculiar to the 
New World, the Sunbirds are peculiar to the Old, al- 
most rivaling the former in brilliancy of plumage, and re- 
sembling them in their general habits. They have sim- 
ilar tongues; but in gathering their food they alight, 
and never hover over a flower as the Humming-birds do. 
They differ from the Humming-birds in one respect very 
decidedly—they are generally agreeable songsters, while 
the voice of the Humming-birds is nothing but a shrill 
le ONS Fedys 
Fig. 130.—Northern Humming-bird, 
