THE HUMMING BIRDS. 159 



been noticed. In the Rackef^tail we have a tail 

 deeply forked, with the two outer quills entirely bare 

 of webbing in the centre, for about one-third their 

 length, and at the outer extremities expanding sud- 

 denly into a broad spathe, somewhat in the shape of 

 a battledore. In the gorgeous Comet-tail the tail is 

 forked, and composed of broad feathers, the outer 

 pair about four and a half inches in length, all tip- 

 ped with black, and glowing with a radiant lustre 

 like highly polished brass, with a considerable tinge 

 of red, which has given it with some the significant 

 title of Flame-tail. A number of other species might 

 be mentioned to show the vast variety of forms as- 

 sumed by this important appendage, which adds to 

 each species a peculiar grace, and no doubt exerts a 

 considerable influence in regulating its motions upon 

 the wing; but the limits of this article will not admit 

 of more. 



The peculiar beauty of the Humming Bird con- 

 sists in the metallic lustre of its coloring ; and when 

 seen in a strong light, some parts of the plumage 

 exhibit a surface of the most exquisite polish, glit- 

 tering with all the brilliancy of the ruby, the fiery 

 lustre of the topaz, and the soft sparkling of the 

 sapphire, the emerald, and the amethyst. Their voice 

 consists mostly of a low twitter or chirp, although it 

 is asserted that some species indulge in a low but 

 not unmusical warble. Thus we see that Nature dis- 

 tributes her gifts with an equal hand ; for, while to 

 these little creatures she has given a plumage of tbn 

 most unrivalled splendor, covering their feathers with 



