FAMILY XII. 
ANTHOMYZI, Vieill. 
GENUS xxvni.— Linnjeus. 
SUBGENUS, MELLISUGAf BRISSON. 
150. TROCniLUS COLUBRIS, LINN. AND WILS. — HUMMING 
WILSON, PLATE X, FIG. HI. — MALE. — FIG. IV. FEMAI*®* 
EDINBUROn COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
Nature, in every department of her works, 
to delight in variety ; and the present subject of 
history is almost as singular for its minuteness, hfa*lM 
want of song, and manner of feeding, as the preco'^'^jf 
is for unrivalled excellence of notes, and plainness ‘ 
plumage. Though this interesting and beautiful 
of birds comprehends upwards of seventy species, 
which, with a very few exceptions, are natives 
ii' 
America and its ad jacent islands, it is yet singular, 1^ 
the specie.s now before ns should he the only one o* 
tribe that ever visits the territory of the United 
According to the observations of my friend Mr Ah'*" ' 
Sir. Trc tn n n L . f I ^ 1 _.l 
makes its first appearance there, from the south, 
the 23d of March ; two weeks earlier than it 
the county of Burke, sixty miles higher up the coui' • 
towards the interior; and at least five weeks sou" . 
than it reaches this part of Pennsylvania. As it 
on to the iiorthward as far as the interior of Can** j, 
where it is seen in great numbers,* the wondef 
* Mr M Kenzie speaks of seeing .a ** beautiful humming h j.,jr 
ueai’ the head ot the Unjigah or Peace river, in lat. 54 deg* 5 
has not particularized the species. 
