SIR WM. JARDINE ON 



HUMMING 



BIRDS. 



171 



nocturnal feeding-birds, produces that humming noise which is heard during their 

 suspension, and whence their common name has been applied. In all, the shafts of 

 the quills are remarkably strong and elastic, but in a few species, known under the 

 denomination of sickle or sabre-winged humming-birds, and forming the genus Cam- 

 pylopterus of Swainson, they are developed to an extraordinary degree at the base, and 

 nearly equal the breadth of the plume. 



" The birds composing this division are large, but not the largest of the family ; 

 and our present information of their habits does not point out any peculiarity to which 

 this development is adapted. It besides, is wanting, or in a great measure reduced, 

 in the females of some of them. Mr. Swainson has figured two birds, which seem 

 almost identical, except in the absence of the broad shaft in the one, and in specimens 

 of the sabre wing, which we have figured at Plate xxxiv, the shafts of the female bird 

 were in breadth only about one half. 



" The organ of next importance, as directing the flight, is the tail. This is always 

 powerful, and presents every modification which we find in those birds endowed with 

 powerful or rapid flight, and will be of use to the systematist in directing the forms which 

 present themselves in analogy with the other families of the feathered race. In one 

 species, (see Plate xxvn) it presents a very curious anomaly among birds, by being 

 composed of only six feathers. This species is raie, and I have had no opportunity 

 for an examination ; but the testimonies of Temminck and Lesson show that it is not 

 an accidental variation, but that it remains constant in all the birds which they have 

 examined." — page. 67. 



These extracts, we think, will fully prove the opinion we have ex- 

 pressed of this beautiful and surprisingly cheap volume ; and we shall 

 only add, that there are but few allusions to the objectionable theories 

 of the Lamarckian school, which we regret to find so frequent in Sir 

 William's notes on Wilson. 



The chief objection, indeed, which we have to this excellent volume, 

 is the introduction, already mentioned, of the doctrine of Representa- 

 tion ; by which it is maintained, for example, that the fire-fly of the 

 West Indies is the real representative of our glow-worm. If this re- 

 presentation be, as it is alleged, so universal, we surely have a right to 

 ask what European representative we have of the humming-birds, the 

 subject of this volume ? No bird will answer to this ; and our humble 

 bees are represented in America, not by humming-birds, but other 

 species of bees. The whole doctrine, indeed, is as fanciful as that of 

 Buffon, which maintained the degeneracy of American animals, on 

 account of the climate. 



