140 
ANTUBEPTES. 
mandible, even from the base, is remarkably thin ; 
so much so, indeed, that when the mouth of the 
bird is shut, the basal marginal edges of the upper 
mandible fold over those of the lower, so as to 
leave merely a very narrow stripe of it exposed. 
Let him then take a species of Anthreptes and the 
following differences will be observed : independent 
of the bill being stronger, thicker, and less curved, 
he will perceive that the under mandible, for its 
whole length, is not thinner than in the generality of 
birds, while at its base it is near doubly as thick as 
it is in the middle. No character can be more tan- 
gible or better understood than this ; and we have 
now to show how birds haring this structure are con- 
nected on one side and on the other. 
The immediate affinity of Anthreptes to Cinnyris 
is too obvious to be insisted upon ; seeing, as we 
before remarked, that all ornithologists have con- 
founded the one with the other. From Cinnyris 
we pass on to the genus Melilhtvptes of M. Vieillot, 
the species of which are still mixed up with those 
of Cinnyris by some of our best writers ; a fact 
which at once shows how closely they are con- 
nected. Following Melithreptes comes the genus 
Diceurn of Cuvier, which bears such a close affinity 
to the next group, or Nectarinea , that they have 
been, and still may be, mistaken for each other. 
Cuvier himself, indeed, does not appear to be aware 
of the true discriminating characters of his own 
genus. The hill in this group is at its minimum 
size ; hence it is, that among the American Necla- 
