398 CLASS AVES. 



We have now given every thing that is known concerning 

 these birds except specific descriptions. 



We insert figures of two species of humming-birds, brought 

 from Brazil by M. LangsdorfF. The first is crested with 

 straight simple reddish feathers ; above, the bird is green, 

 inclining to reddish on the rump and tail, the quills vina- 

 ceous ; the front, throat, and breast of a deep green waved ; the 

 colour of the belly and vent like that of the back, but 

 divided from the deep green of the breast by a white patch. 

 The lateral crest is of broad feathers, inclining backward ; 

 green at the tips ; whitish towards the insertion. 



The other is deep-green, waved all over, except the quills 

 of the wings, which are blackish; and the lateral crest, 

 which is of ultra-marine blue, mixed with red. 



The figure of the giant humming-bird is from M. Vieillot. 

 It is green-brown above ; deeper on the back ; the rump is 

 white, mixed with red ; the upper wing coverts are white, 

 bordered with red ; the rectrices have a little white spot at 

 their extremity, and there is a white triangular spot at the 

 end of the remiges ; the abdomen is white. It is about nine 

 inches long, and is much the largest of all the known species. 



The habits of the Ckaves are like those of the rollers, with 

 which they are classed by most naturalists. 



Of the Hoopoes proper, we shall only notice the Upupa 

 epops. It arrives in Europe in spring, spreads itself as far 

 as the most northern countries, and quits this quarter of the 

 globe in autumn to pass the winter in Africa. The species is 

 sedentary in Egypt, and almost domestic, for it lives in the 

 most populous cities, and nestles in the terraces of the houses. 

 In France it is solitary, few of them being ever seen together. 

 This bird delights in humid places, where it finds a more 

 abundant nutriment. It is seldom found on high mountains. 

 When it perches, it is at a moderate height. It is also at a 

 small elevation that the hoopoe chuses a hole in which to 

 construct its nest. Sometimes it takes one in a Mall ; some- 



