PURPLE INDIAN CREEPER. 
tribe is found in America, and in the Eafl In- 
dies. These birds are in the collection of Mr. 
James Leman, at the College of Physicians, 
London. I have discovered that they are na- 
tives of Bengal, in the East Indies; by means 
of some drawings of birds in colours, which 
were sent from thence, to the late learned and 
worthy encourager of sciences, Dr. Richard 
Mead." 
In a note to BufFon's account of the Purple 
Soui-Manga — the whole of which we have al- 
ready given, with this sole exception— he re- 
marks, that *' this author," meaning Edwards, 
says that the Purple Indian Creeper has the 
tongue -of the Colibri, or Humming-Bird; 
that is, divided, at the tip, into many filaments. 
Edwards seems, therefore, not^to have l^^^" 1 
well acquainted with the true structure of the 
tongue of the Colibri." 
It has occurred to us, tliat tins filamentary 
structure of the tongue, bears some not very 
distant analogy to that of the Ant-Eaters: 
and, hence, may not only serve to extract the 
honey of fiowers ; but, it seems equally pro- 
bable 
