MELLISUGlNiE. 



follow tliem. The conqueror, however, generally returns to the place to reap the fruits of his victory. He has been 

 seen to attack, and for a few moments tease, the king-bird ; and has also, in his turn, been assailed by an humble bee, 

 which he soon put to flight. The flight of this bird from flower to flower greatly resembles that of a bee ; but is so 

 much more rapid, that the latter appears a mere loiterer to him. It has generally been supposed that his food consists 

 entirely of the honey, or liquid sweet, that is gathered from the flowers ; but further observation, says Wilson, has 

 given rise to the belief that he is rather in search of those minute insects that resort to feed on the farina of tubular 

 flowers. Wilson also tells us that he has seen the bird, for half an hour at a time, darting at those little groups of 

 insects that dance in the air on a fine summer's evening, retiring to an adjoining twig to rest, and renewing the attack 

 with a dexterity that sets all other fly-catchers at defiance. This bird migrates at certain seasons, seeking, during the 

 winter months, the warmer portions of that vast continent ; and these migrations lead our author to remark that the 

 wonder is excited how so feebly constructed and delicate a little creature can make its way over such extensive regions 

 of lakes and forests, among so many enemies, all its superiors in strength and magnitude. But its very minuteness, the 

 rapidity of its flight, which almost eludes the eye, and that admirable instinct, reason, or whatever else it may be called, 

 and daring courage, which Heaven has implanted in its bosom, are its guides and protectors. The nest is usually affixed 

 to a branch of a tree at a few feet from the ground, and is very small, composed outwardly of lichen, taken from the 

 trunks of trees and palings, thickly glued on with the saliva of the bird, giving firmness and consistency to the whole, 

 as well as keeping oitt moisture. Within this are thick matted layers of the fine wings of certain flying seeds, closely 

 laid together ; and, lastly, the downy substance from the great mullen and from the stalks of the common fern lines the 

 whole ; the base of the nest is continued round the stem of the branch, to which it closely adheres. The eggs are two 

 in number, and the female raises two broods in the same season. 



1. M. ensifera (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1S30. p. 354., Mag. de Zool. 

 1840. Ois. t. 15. — Trochilus Derby anus Fras. 



2. M. fulgens (Swains.) Phil. Mag. 1827. p. 441. — Ornismya 

 Rivolii Less. Ois. Mouch. t. 4., Nat. Libr. xv. pi. 18. 



3. M. Leadbeateri (Bourc.) Ann. Sci. &c. de Lyon, 1843. p. 43. 

 t. 5., Rev. Zool. 1843. p. 102. 



4. M. longirostris (Vieill.) Ois. dor. t. 59., PI. col. 299. £ 1-, 

 Less. Ois. Mouch. t. 2., Col. Suppl. t. 23., Troch. t. 34. — Trochilus 

 superbus Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 517- 



5. M. melanoleuca (Valenc.) Steph. Temm. PI. col. 317 



Trochilus squamosus Temm. PI. col. 203. f. 1. ; Ornismya Tem- 

 minckii Less. Ois. Mouch. t. 20. 29, 30., Troch. t. 45., Nat. 

 Libr. xv. pi. 17.; T. mystacinus Vieill. MS S. 



6. M. helianthea (Less.) Rev. Zool. 1838. p. 314. 



7. M. luteticB (De Lattr. & Bourc.) Rev. Zool. 1846. p. 307. 



8. M. Bonapartei (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 6., Bourc. Ann. 

 Sci. Phys. &c. de Lyon, 1842. p. 307. t xiv. — Trochilus auri- 

 gaster Lodd. 



9. M. violifera (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p. 87. 



10. M. Temminckii (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1839. P- 354., Mag. de 

 Zool. 1840. Ois. t. 14. — Trochilus cyanopterus Lodd. 



11. M. Prunellei (Bourc.) Ann. Sci. Phys. &c. de Lyon, 1843. 

 p. 36. t. 1. 



12. M. torquata (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 6. — Trochilus 

 insectivorus Tsehudi, Fauna Per. p. 248. t. 23. f. 1. 



13. M. Wilsoni (De Lattr. & Bourc.) Rev. Zool. 1846. p. 305. 



14. M. Conradii (Bourc.) Proc. Z. S. 1847. p. 45. 



15. M. cwligena (Less.) Troch. t. 53., Nat. Libr. xv. pi. 4. 



16. M. Clemeneice (Less.) Ois. Mouch. t. 80., Col. Suppl. t. 8. — 

 Type of Coeligena Less. (1829). 



17. M. Clarissce (Longuem.) Rev. Zool. 1841. p. 306., Mag. 

 de Zool. 1842. Ois. t. 26. 



18. M. Parzudaki (Less.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 72. 



19. M. Ludovicirs (Bourc. & Muls.) Ann. Sci. Phys. &c. Lyon, 

 1847. p. 136 Type of Doryfera Gould (1847). 



20. M. Johannm (Bourc.) Proc. Z. S. 1847. p. 45. 



21. M. violifrons (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1847. p. 95. 



22. M. rubinea (Lath.) Briss. Orn. iii. t. 37- f. 4., PI. enl. 276. 

 f. 4., Ois. Dor. t. 27, 28. — Trochilus obscurus Gmel. ; T. ruficau- 

 datus Vieill. 



23. M. rubino'ides (Bourc. & Muls.) Ann. Sci. Phys. &c. de 

 Lyon, 1846. p. 322. 



24. M. Rhami (Less.) Rev. Zool. 1838. p. 315. 



25. M. cupripennis (Bourc. & Muls.) Rev. Zool. 1843. p. 71.. 

 Ann. Sci. &c. Lyon, 1843. p. 46. 



26. M. flavescens (Lodd.) Proc. Z. S. 1832. p. 7 Ornismya 



paradisea Boiss. Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 6. 



27. M. Matthewsii (Lodd.) Proc. Z. S. 1 847. p. 43. 



28. M. heteropogon (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1839. P- 354., Mag. de 

 Zool. 1840. Ois. t. 12. — Trochilus coruscus Fras. 



29. M. ruficeps (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p. 89. 



30. M. Guerini (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 7. — Trochilus 

 parvirostris Fras. 



31. M. Lindenii (Parz.) Rev. Zool. 1845. p. 253. 



32. M. microrhyncha (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1839. p. 356., Mag. 

 de Zool. 1840. Ois. t. 16. — Trochilus brachyrhynchus Fras. 



33. M. Sabince (Bourc. & Muls.) Ann. Sci. Phys. &c. de Lyon, 

 1846. p. 323. 



34. M. inornata (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p. 89. 



35. M. melanogenys (Fras.) Proc. Z. S. 1840. p. 18. 



36. M. tyrianthinus (Lodd.) Proc. Z. S. 1832. p. 6. —Ornish 

 mya Allardi Bourc. Rev. Zool. 1839. P- 294., Ann. Sci. Phys. 

 &c. de Lyon, 1840. p. 226. t. 3, 4.; Ornismya Paulinse Boiss, 

 Rev. Zool. 1839. p. 354., Mag. de Zool. 1840. t. 13. 



37. M. Abeillei (De Lattr. & Less.) Rev. Zool. 1839. P- 16. 



38. M. Williami (De Lattr. & Bourc.) Rev. Zool. 1846. p. 308. 



39. M. strophiana (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p. 45. 



40. M. amethysticollis (D'Orb. & Lafr.) Syn. Av. p. 31., (Mag. 

 de Zool.), Voy. dans l'Ame'r. Me'r. t. 60. f. 2. 



41. M. Spencei (Bourc.) Proc. Z. S. 1847. p. 46. 



42. M. smaragdinicollis (D'Orb. & Lafr.) Voy. dans l'Amer. 

 Mer. Ois. t. 59. f. 2. 



