432 CORACIIFORMES 



successive years. Humming-birds never lay more than two eggs, 

 and sometimes only one ; these are plain dull white, and similarly 

 shaped at both ends. The young are hatched blind and naked, 

 and are then about the size of humble bees : but they leave the 

 nest comparatively soon, and are precocious as regards flight. 

 The duration of incubation, which is apparently not shared by 

 the male, is variously stated at ten, twelve, or even more days, 

 and two broods are said to be reared in a season ; the first point 

 is clearly doubtful ; but, considering the extent of the season fit 

 for nidification, the latter is not improbable. The parents have 

 been known to add to a nest, as the young outgrew it. The 

 cock courts the hen most assiduously, circling around her ^vith 

 dilated throat and swelling plumage, and searching for food to 

 offer, while he carefully watches over her when sitting. Hum- 

 ming-birds have been often said to be killed with water in place 

 of lead, but in truth diminutive pellets of the latter are used, as 

 an alternative to the blow-pipe with its clay ball, or to bird- 

 lime. Immense quantities are exported for decorative purposes, 

 and the Mexicans make pictures of the feathers. 



The late Mr. Salvin, who divided the Family into groups by the 

 serration of the beak,^ recognised a hundred and twenty-seven genera 

 with some five hundred species, while Audubon, Bates, Gosse, Gould, 

 Mulsant, Wilson and Waterton, Count Berlepsch, Messrs. Elliot, 

 Hartert, Eidgway, and Wallace may be mentioned among other 

 " Trochilidists." The largest form, Patagonagigas, measures nearly 

 nine inches, Mellisuga minima and others about two and a half 



(1) Forms with distinctly serrated beaks. Heliothrix of Central 

 and South America southward to Brazil contains three members 

 with wedge-shaped bills and blue tufts behind the ears. The 

 females differ little from the males in colour, but have longer 

 tails. Augastes contains the two " Vizor-bearers " of South-East 

 Brazil, so-called from the appearance of the head and throat ; 

 A. luviachellus is bronzy green, with a very brilliant green 

 throat terminated by a red line, a little blue shewing between 

 these two colours ; the crown is velvety black, the pectoral band 

 white, the tail bright bronzy-red. The female is less highly 

 coloured and has a green head. Rhamphodon naevius of the 

 same country, and Androdon aequatorialis of Colombia and 

 Ecuador, have the bill strongly hooked ; the latter is brownish- 



1 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xvi. 1892, ji. 28. 



