Notices of New Books. 



8433 



with the quickness of thought. During the heat of the day the shady 

 retreats beneath the trees are very frequently visited ; in the morning 

 and evening the sunny banks, tl «j verandahs and other exposed situ- 

 ations are more frequently resorted to. In the intervals of flight I 

 believe that they not only rest in the ordinary way, but even pass 

 some time in sleep ; at least I found that this was the case with my 

 living birds, and that from this state of partial torpor they were not 

 easily aroused. In ?the morning and evening they were far more 

 animated than at any other period of the day ; and they would even 

 perform their buzzing evolutions round their cage and sip from their 

 little bottle in the night time if a light was brought into the room. 

 They usually sat in a moping position, with the bill in a line with the 

 body, or slightly elevated, after the manner of the kingfishers. I never 

 saw them hang by their feet and sleep with their heads downwards, a 

 position which I have been informed is sometimes assumed by hum- 

 ming birds." 



Such being our author's description of the flight of humming birds 

 it follows as a matter of course that the organs of flight should be next 

 presented to our notice, and it seems desirable in this place again to 

 invite the zoologist to contrast the insect-like flight of the humming 

 bird, here so truthfully pourtrayed, and the smooth hawk-like flight of 

 the swift, which differs in every character. It is curious, and for my 

 purpose most opportune, that Mr. Gould in his admirable remarks has 

 no idea whatever of giving any prominence to this difference ; on the 

 contrary his previously-quoted remarks on affinities indicate a leaning 

 towards the strange hypothesis that the humming birds have tolerably 

 near affinities with the swifts. 



The Humming Bird's Wings. — " When we have compared the wings 

 of Calliphlox amethystinus with those of Patagonia Gigas we have 

 noticed the two extremes of development in those organs, but many 

 intermediate forms exist, and each modification has doubtless an 

 influence on the mode and power of flight. I cannot leave the subject 

 of the wings without alluding to the extraordinary development of the 

 shafts of the primaries in the Campylopteri. The great dilatation of 

 these feathers would lead one to suppose that they have an influence 

 on the aerial movements of the birds, but, strange to say, this remark- 

 able feature only occurs iu the males ; the females are entirely destitute 

 of it. It might naturally be supposed that such a modification of so 

 important an organ must be formed with an especial object. What, 

 then, can be the particular use of the broad dilated shafts of these 

 VOL. XXI. R 



