THE HUMMING-BIRD. 



119 



throughout the whole of the family ; because every 

 individual of it, from the largest to the smallest, 

 produces the humming noise whilst on the wing ; 

 and this sound proceeds from the quick vibration 

 of the wings, which are scythe-like in form, and 

 different in appearance, from the wings of all other 

 known birds. 



I reject the latin word "Trochilus" for the 

 humming-bird. It may sound learned, and is 

 much used by foreign naturalists. But, I am 

 writing on humming- fords : — not humming- to]?s. 



No humming-birds have ever been discovered 

 in the old world. For although, both Africa and 

 Asia contain minute birds of wonderful brilliancy 

 in the metallic colors, still, the legs of all these, 

 without any exception, are sufficiently long to 

 enable them to walk on the ground. But, the legs 

 of the humming-bird are useless on the ground. 

 This I have already stated. 



As a distinctive mark, we may say, that there 

 is a proportional length of leg, in all the small 

 birds of the old world, useful when on the ground, 

 but that, for want of this proportional length of 

 leg in the humming-birds of the new world, the 

 legs become useless when accident has brought 

 down the bird from its serial domain. 



The legs then, of all humming-birds being noto- 



