HUMMING-BIRDS, 293 
brilliancy in every species, the males being always more gorgeously 
decorated than their mates. 
The tongue is a very curious structure, being extremely long, filamentous, 
and double nearly to its base. At the throat it is taken up by that curious 
forked bony structure called the hyoid bone, the forks of which are 
enormously elongated, and, passing under the throat and round the head, 
are terminated upon the forehead. By means of this structure the 
Humming-bird is enabled to project the tongue to a great distance from 
the bill, and to probe the inmost recesses of the largest flowers. The com- 
mon woodpecker has a 
very similar description 
of tongue and employs it 
in a similar manner, 
In their habits the Hum- 
ming-birds are mostly di- 
urnal, although many spe- 
cies are only seen at dawn 
and just after sunset. 
Many, indeed, live in such 
dense recesses of their tro- 
pical woods, that the beams 
of the sun never fairly 
penetrate into their gloomy 
depths, and the Humining- 
bird dwells in a permanent 
twilight beneath the foli- 
age. Itis worthy of notice 
that the name Trochilide 
is not a very apt one, as 
the Trochilus was evi- 
dently a bird which had 
nothing in common with 
the Humming-bird, and 
was most probably the zic- 
zac of Egypt. 
The upper figure in the 
illustration on page 292 
represents the Cora 
HUMMING-BIRD, a native 
of Peru. The head and 
back are gold-green, the 
wings are purple, and the 
throat is violet or crimson | SLENDER SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD.--(7hau« 
according to the direction mastura encuura.) 
of the light. 
In the centre is the DOUBLF-CREST, a Brazilian species. It derives its. 
name from the crest-like reathers that start from either side of the head. 
The top of the head is azure, and the throat fiery crimson. The sides ot 
the face and the chin are velvet black. a 
The BAR-TAIL occupies the right of the illustration. It is a native ‘ot 
Bolivia, and derives its name from the black tips of the crimson tail feathers. 
The body is green. 
On the left is GOULD’s HUMMING-BIRD, a lovely little creature, remark- 
able for the beautiful neck-tufts, with their pure white feathers tipped with 
green, It 1s found in the Amazon district. 
