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SICKLE-BILL HUMMING-BIRD.— J5:MMxercs A'quila. 



There are several species of the Star-throated Humming-birds, all of which are 

 known by the bright metallic gleam of the feathers on the throat. 



The Angela Star-throat inhabits Buenos Ayres and many parts of Brazil. It 

 seems not to be a very common bird, or at all events it is rarely found in collections. It 

 is cJiiefly remarkable for the singular shape of its bill, which is evidently formed for the 

 purpose of enabling the creature to penetrate to the bottom of the curiously-shaped blos- 

 soms on which it finds its sustenance. It feeds, apparently, upon the long-blossomed 

 flowers of the Uianas, which are very plentiful in the regions inhabited by the Star-throat, 

 and whose cups are always filled with minute insects. The generic name, Helion:aster, is 

 very appropriate, signifying Sun-star. 



In the male, the crown of the head is metallic green, " shot" with ultramarine blue 

 and gold, and the upper surface of the body is golden green, with more gold upon the 

 lower part of the back. The wings are piirple-brown, and the tail purple-black with dark 

 green gloss. Behind each eye there is a white spot, and a grey streak is drawn thi'ough 

 the cheeks. The centre of the throat is a brilliant crimson, shining effulgently as if made of 

 living fke, and edged with long feathers of a deep blue. The under surface is dark green, 

 changing to rich blue in the centre, and on each side of the flanks there is a tuft of white 

 feathers. The under tail-coverts are green, fringed with white. 



The female is gold bronze on the upper part of the body, and the crown of her head is 

 greyish. There is no crimson or blue on the throat ; it is simply grey, covered with pale 

 brown spots. 



The very remarkable bird whose portrait is seen in tlie accompanying illustration affords 

 another example of the wonderful adaptation of means to ends which is often found among 

 these birds. In the Sword-bill Humming-bird, sketched on page 232, the beak is enormously 

 lengthened, in order to enable it to feed on the long bell-like flowers wherein it finds its 

 sustenance, and a similar modification of structure may be seen in the Star-throats. In the 

 Sickle-bills, however, which feed on the short curved flowers of those regions, the bill is 

 also short and very sharply curved, in order to suit the peculiar shape of the flowers. This 



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