xxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



is one other term, the meaning of which, they should also re- 

 member, because it refers to a very obvious distinction in the form 

 of the bill; this is liecurvirostris — a recurved or turned-up beak, 

 it is rather distinctive of a species than a genus. 



The great French naturalist, Cuvier, gave to those species which 

 have the beak much arched, the name of Colibris, and to those 

 with the straight beaks, that of Oiseaux-monches, or Fly-birds, 

 and these terms are still often used. A.s to the common, or 

 local names of Humming Birds, they are numerous; thus in 

 Guiana they are called Courberi, which is very like the French 

 name given above, and probably originated it. The ancient Mexi- 

 cans called this bird Hoitzitziliototl, or Hoitzitziln ; some writers 

 give it as Suitzetzel, and others as 1'icicilin. The ancient Peru- 

 vian name is said to be Qicenti, and the Spanish appellation, 

 Tomineios, which latter seems to refer to the small size of the 

 bird, Tomin signifying the third part of a drachm. Oarissia is 

 another of their South American names, most of which have refer- 

 ence to the brilliancy of their appearance, or one or other of their 

 peculiar habits; thus we find them translated into such phrases 

 as "Kays of the sun;" "Tresses of the day-star;" "Murmuring 

 birds," and the like. The Spanish and Portuguese call them 

 JPica-Jiores, that is, "Pick-flowers," in allusion to their mode of 

 feeding ; and a recent traveller, who resided for a while in Mexico, 

 states that in the neighbourhood of Xalapa in that country, they 

 are termed Chupa-rose and Ckiipa-myrta — Pose-sucker and Myrtle- 

 sucker. The Mexicans have a very poetical tradition respecting 

 these birds, which they much admire for their boldness, dexterity 

 on the wing, and brilliancy of plumage. 



Humboldt, the great German traveller and naturalist, relates it 

 as a point of their religious belief, that when Torqamiqui, the wife 

 of the god of war, conducted the souls of those warriors who had 

 died in defence of the gods, into the mansion of the sun, she there 

 transformed them into Humming Birds. Well, therefore, might 

 the ancient and superstitious people, among whom such a belief 

 prevailed, look with a kind of reverence upon the winged meteors 

 and shooting stars, which flashed and gleamed in every forest glade 

 and every humid vallej-- around them. It was customary with 

 them to decorate their temples with works of art, in which the 

 plumes of these birds were largely employed; and even in the 

 present day some of the South American Indians compose figures 

 of saints, etc., with these feathers, remarkable for delicacy of exe- 

 cution and brilliancy of colour. In the convents of Mexico, too, 

 they make of these materials groups and sprigs of artificial flowers 

 in a most admirable manner: some of these are, or were, in the 

 possession of Mr. Gould. 



