20 
THE HUMMING-BIRD. 
sweet juices. But some of these flowers are 
so bent that a straight bill would not be able 
to reach the honey ; so the bird that feeds 
upon them has his bill curved upwards at the 
tip, that he may follow the bend of the flower, 
and not be disappointed of his feast. 
The tongue is not unlike the tongue of the 
woodpecker, and is darted out in the same 
way, and for the same purpose, of entrapping 
insects. It is composed of two tubes joined 
together nearly the whole of their length, 
and ending in a spoon-like point. It is very 
sticky, so the insects when touched by it can- 
not escape, and it is also fringed with minute 
spines or bristles, that still further help to se- 
cure the prey. 
Some humming-birds are much larger than 
others, and one is called, " The gigantic hum- 
ming-bird,'" a mighty name for such a little 
creature, as it is only the size of a sparrow. 
The great humming-bird is very plainly dressed 
compared to the rest of the tribe, that glitter 
about in green, purple, and gold, as brilliant 
as precious stones. There is one little creature, 
I not much larger than a humble-bee, with wings 
like a butterfly, of snowy white, with large^ 
