2 HUMMING-BIRDS. 



exhibited to the public for a year or two, he removed it to his 

 residence in Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, where he had 

 built a gallery for its reception. Here it remained until his 

 death in February 1881. 



It was always Mr. Gould's hope and wish that the whole col- 

 lection of mounted and unmounted specimens should be preserved 

 as the property of the nation ; and accordingly it was offered by 

 his Executors to the Trustees of the British Museum, who pur- 

 chased it in the same year. The acquisition of this collection 

 was all the more important, as almost all the original specimens 

 from which the figures in his work on Humming-birds were 

 taken are contained in it. 



We can here only shortly refer to some of the principal 

 features which give so great an interest to this group of birds. 

 Those who are desirous of reading a fuller account should con- 

 sult Mr. Gould's ' Introduction to the Trochilidas ' (London, 

 1861, 8vo). 



Humming-birds or Trochilidce, formerly placed in most classi- 

 fications in the Order of Tenuirostres or Slender-billed Birds, 

 form a group by themselves *. They are most nearly allied to 



The " Ruby and Topaz " Humming-bird ( Chrysolampis mosquitus). (Half nat. size.) 



* The two species figured in this Guide-book ( Chrysolampis mosquitus and Doci- 

 mastes ensiferus) have been selected, the one to show the general form of a typical 

 Humming-bird, the other to illustrate one of those numerous wonderful modifica- 

 tions of structure fitting the species for some special object in itshabits. 



