MELLISUGINiE. 
follow them. The conqueror, however, generally returns to the place to reap the fruits of his victory. He k 
seen to attack, and for a few moments tease, the king-bird ; and has also, in his turn, been assailed by an hum ^ ^ 
which he soon put to flight. The flight of this bird from flower to flower greatly resembles that of a bee ; 
much more rapid, that the latter appears a mere loiterer to him. It has generally been supposed that his f°o ^ 
entirely of the honey, or liquid sweet, that is gathered from the flowers; but further observation, says I 
given rise to the belief that he is rather in search of those minute insects that resort to feed on the farina flf 
flowers. Wilson also tells us that he has seen the bird, for half an hour at a time, darting at those little g l 0 l J t ^ 
insects that dance in the air on a fine summer’s evening, retiring to an adjoining twig to rest, and renewing t m ^ 
with a dexterity that sets all other fly-catchers at defiance. This bird migrates at certain seasons, seeking, c u “ J ^ 
winter months, the warmer portions of that vast continent; and these migrations lead our author to remark 
wonder is excited how so feebly constructed and delicate a little creature can make its way over such extensive o ^ 
of lakes and forests, among so many enemies, all its superiors in strength and magnitude. But its very minutene^^ 
rapidity of its flight, which almost eludes the eye, and that admirable instinct, reason, or whatever else it may e e ^ 
and daring courage, which Heaven has implanted in its bosom, are its guides and protectors. The nest is usually a 
to a branch of a tree at a few feet from the ground, and is very small, composed outwardly of lichen, taken 1 j e> 
trunks of trees and palings, thickly glued on with the saliva of the bird, giving firmness and consistency to tlm ^ 
as well as keeping out moisture. Within this are thick matted layers of the fine wings of certain flying see< * S ’. ° gg the 
laid together; and, lastly, the downy substance from the great mullen and from the stalks of the common l’ ern ^ 
whole ; the base of the nest is continued round the stem of the branch, to which it closely adheres. The eggs » 
in number, and the female raises two broods in the same season. 
1. M. ensifera (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1 839. P- 354., Mag. de Zool. 
1840. Ois. t. 15. — Trochilus Derbyanus Fras. 
2. M . fulgens (Swains.) Phil. Mag. 1827. p. 441. — Ornismya 
Rivolii Less. Ois. Mouch. t. 4., Nat. Libr. xv. pi. 18. 
3. M. Leadbeateri (Bourc.) Ann. Sci. &c. de Lyon, 1843. p. 43. 
t. 5., Rev. Zool. 1843. p. 102. 
4. M. longirostris (Vieill.) Ois. dor. t. 59., PI. col. 299- f- L, 
Less. Ois. Mouch. t. 2., Col. Suppl. t. 23., Trocli. t. 34. — Trochilus 
superbus Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 517- 
5. M. melanoleuca (Valenc.) Steph. Temm. PI. col. 317- — 
Trochilus squamosus Temm. PI. col. 203. f, 1. ; Ornismya Tem- 
minckii Less. Ois. Mouch. t. 20. 29, 30., Troch. t. 45., Nat. 
Libr. xv. pi. 17.; T. mystacinus Vieill. MSS. 
6. M. helianthea (Less.) Rev. Zool. 1838. p. 314. 
7. M. lutetice (De Lattr. & Bourc.) Rev. Zool. 1846. p. 307. 
8. M. Bonapartei (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 6., Bourc. Ann. 
Sci. Phys. &c. de Lyon, 1842. p. 307. t. xiv. — Trochilus auri- 
gaster Lodd. 
9. M. violifera (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p. 87. 
10. M. Temminckii (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1839. p. 354., Mag. de 
Zool. 1840. Ois. t. 14. — Trochilus cyanopterus Lodd. 
11. M. Prunellei (Bourc.) Ann. Sci. Phys. &c. de Lyon, 1843. 
p. 36. t. 1. 
12. M. torquata (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 6. — Trochilus 
insectivorus Tschudi, Fauna Per. p. 248. t. 23. f. 1. 
13. M. Wilsoni (De Lattr. & Bourc.) Rev. Zool. 1846. p. 305. 
14. M. Conradii (Bourc.) Proc. Z. S. 1847* p. 45. 
15. M. ceeligena (Less.) Troch. t. 53., Nat. Libr. xv. pi. 4. 
16. M. Clemencies (Less.) Ois. Mouch. t. 80., Col. Suppl. t. 8. — 
Type of Cmligena Less. (1829). 
17. M. Clarisscs (Longuem.) Rev. Zool. 1841. p. 306., Mag. 
de Zool. 1842. Ois. t. 26. 
18. M. Parzudaki (Less.) Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 72. 
19. M. Ludovicies (Bourc. & Muls.) Ann. Sci. Pbys. &c. Lyon, 
1847. p. 136. — Type of Doryfera Gould (1847). 
20. M. Johannee (Bourc.) Proc. Z. S. 1847. p. 45. 
S 1 
21. M. violifrons (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1847- P- 9^' gn ]_ 
22. M. rubinea (Lath.) Briss. Orn. iii. t. 37. f- 4- , ^ ' rU fica u ' 
f. 4., Ois. Dor. t. 27, 28. — Trochilus obscurus Gmel. , 
datus Vieill. &c- ^ 
23. M. rubino'ides (Bourc. & Muls.) Ann. Sci. 7 
Lyon, 1846. p. 322. 
,. 7 1 ” 
iiny 8 
d« 
24. M. Rhami (Less.) Rev. Zool. 1838. p. 315. 
25. M. cupripennis (Bourc. & Muls.) Rev. Zool. 1 
Ann. Sci. &c. Lyon, 1843. p. 46. Q rn isi 
26. M. flavcscens (Lodd.) Proc. Z. S. 1832. P- 7‘ 
paradisea Boiss. Rev. Zool. 1840. p. 6. 
27- M. Matthewsii (Lodd.) Proc. Z. S. 1 847- P - jyfag' 
28. M. heteropogon (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1 839- P - ^ ’ 
Zool. 1840. Ois. t. 12. — Trochilus coruscus Fras. 
29. M. ruficeps (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p. 39’ q r ocli’* uS 
30. M. Guerini (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1840. P- 7' 
parvirostris Fras. 
31. M. Lindenii (Parz.) Rev. Zool. 1845. p. 253. ^ jjag- 
32. M. microrhyncha (Boiss.) Rev. Zool. 1839- P' p fa s. 
de Zool. 1840. Ois. t. 16 — Trochilus brachyrhynchus ^ ^ oV , 
33. M. Sabines (Bourc. & Muls.) Ann. Sci. Phys. 
1846. p. 323. 
34. M. inornata (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. p- 89* 
35. M. melanogenys (Fras.) Proc. Z. S. 1840. P- 1 ^ ^ O*' 1 ’’ 
36. M. tyrianthinus (Lodd.) Proc. Z. S. 1832. P g c j_ PW 
mya Allardi Bourc. Rev. Zool. 1839- P- 294-, p aU iinfe 
&c. de Lyon, 1840. p. 226. t. 3, 4.; Ornismya F a 
Rev. Zool. 1839. p.354., Mag. de Zool. 1840. t. 1 3- ^ jg, 
37- M. Abeillei (De Lattr. & Less.) Rev. Zool. 1 wj, p. 
38. M. Williami (De Lattr. & Bourc.) Rev. ZooL 
39- M. strophiana (Gould), Proc. Z. S. 1846. P- 
40. M. amethysticollis (D’Orb, & Lafr.) Syn. -Av 
de Zool.), Voy. dans l’Amer. Mer. t. 60. f. 2. 
41. M. Spencei (Bourc.) Proc. Z. S. 1847- P- ^ ' j atlS 1 A n ' 
42. M. smaragdinicollis (D’Orb. & Lafr.) ^°7 
Mer. Ois. t. 59. f. 2. 
