INTEODUCTION. 



closely, than might hare found out, as "Waterton did, that the 

 melody proceeded from another throat than that of the gay little 

 bird — 



"Whose silken vest was purfled o'er with green, 

 And crimson rose-leaves wrought the sprigs between; 

 His diadem, a topaz, beamed so bright, 

 The moon was dazzled with its purest light." 



SCIENTIFIC ARRANGEMENT AND NAMES. 



The TrocMUdcB have been divided by modern naturalists into 

 five sub -families and many genera, each containing numerous species. 

 Doubtless the present arrangement will have to be considerably 

 altered, when more is known of this beautiful family of birds; 

 fresh species of which are constantly being discovered. Many of 

 them present characteristics which will not allow of their being 

 placed in any one of the existing sub-families. With Linnaeus, 

 who wrote his great work, entitled "Systema Naturee," that is, the 

 System of Nature, about one hundred years ago, this classification 

 was an easy matter, for only a few species were then known. In 

 1774, when Goldsmith's "History of the Earth and Animated 

 Nature" was published, the knowledge of them does not appear to 

 have much increased, for we there find it stated that "of these 

 charming little animals there are six or seven species, from the 

 size of a small wren down to that of an humble-bee." 



In 1824, Mr. Bullock, in a work entitled "Six Months in Mex- 

 ico," states that only one hundred species were in his collection, 

 but that every day added to the number. More recently, Mr. 

 Loddege, an eminent Nurseryman in the neighbourhood of Lon- 

 don, who had agents in all parts of the world searching for new 

 and rare plants, and who had also commissioned them to look out 

 for Humming Birds, acquired by this means about two hundred 

 species ; but the collection of Mr. Gould, to which we have already 

 alluded, contained half as many more, and to this additions are 

 constantly made, so that there is no telling how many of these 

 exquisitely beautiful birds may yet claim admission into the recog- 

 nized family group. 



Thus we learn how exceedingly numerous the Humming Birds 

 must be; above three hundred distinct species already discovered, and 

 that in the course of a few years; for it is only lately that the atten- 

 tion of scientific men has been turned to them. "We should bear 

 in mind that the whole of the Birds of Europe of every sort do 

 not number much over five hundred species; and then the fact 

 that the species of this one family already count up to more than 

 half that number will appear the more striking; and then too we 

 must remember that these birds make their homes amid swamps, 



