SUN-BIRDS. 319 



They the odorous groves of the Orient Isles, 



And the Hindoostan gardens, e'er greet with their smiles. 



name of Humming-birds, or, to anglicize a Vigorsean term, 

 Trochilids. They are now, it seems, called in this country 

 by the trite name of Sun birds. By whom this term was first 

 applied, or for what reason, I do not know, but presume from 

 the splendour of their colours. One of their characteristics 

 (besides of course being Tenuirosts) is that of feeding on the 

 nectar of flowers. The genus Cinnyris is included in Tem- 

 minck's Necturinia.* I have not been able to obtain so satisfac- 

 tory an account of it as I could wish. The following species I, 

 however, find described in Dr. Latham's great work. 



The Longirostra, (Linn. Transact, vol. xiv.) Certhia Longi- 

 rostra, (Lath.) or Long-billed-Creeper, is five inches long, 

 the bill an inch and half; the tongue is long and missile; crown 

 and back behind light green; back, wings, and tail, dusky, 

 edged with olive green ; neck before, and breast, white ; belly 

 and vent pale yellow; legs bluish. Found in Bengal, where it 

 perches on the rich flowers of Indian plants, and darting its 

 tongue into the calyx extracts the sweets. Inhabits also Java, 

 where it is called Prist Andun. The Java species is larger and 

 more brightly coloured. 



The Affinis (Linn. Transact, vol. xiii.) Anthophagus Oliva- 



* Since this volume has been in the press, my attention has 

 been called to the splendid work of M. Temminck on Birds, 

 now publishing at Paris in large folio, with finely executed en- 

 gravings, accurately and most carefully delineated, and coloured 

 after nature. This work is esteemed by our ornithologsts as a 

 very valuable addition to the science: as far as I have had an 

 opportunity of examining it, I can bear my willing testimony to 

 its merits, particularly in regard to the engravings. The 

 Manual of Ornithology of this author is, of course, well known to 

 the scientific. Both works are written in the French language. 



