DENTIROSTRBS AND TENOIROSTRES. 355 
supposed^ that the typical families will bear a much 
fainter analogy to each other, than what will be found 
between the aberrant groujjs. Thus, upon looking to a 
shrike and a humming-bird, we can only be surprised 
that there actually is that agreement in the bill which 
we have just noticed. There is also, towards the end 
of tlie upper mandible of a humming-bird’s bill, a 
peculiarity which shows us the very first development 
o£ a tooth : the sides are suddenly turned inward, and 
thus a slight angle is formed exactly at that part of the 
mai-gin where the real toothed process of the shrike 
appears (Jig. 1. a). This structure is not seen in the 
Cinnyridm, the types of which, moreover, have the 
gmys, or under edge of the lower mandible, either 
straight or bent downwards, like the generality of birds, 
but never upwards, as in shrikes and humming-birds. 
The resemblance, also, in point of colour, between the 
lineated ant-thrushes (Pitta), and some of the African 
sun birds (Cinnyris) holds good in the present instance. 
It is no less curious than true, that the humming-bird, 
if we consider its diminutive size, is even more bold 
and courageous than a shrike : it not oidy attacks others 
of its own tribe, with the greatest fierceness, but all 
small birds who presume to alight upon its favourite 
feeding tree. This trait in its character we have repeat- 
edly witnessed. From the very fine and acute structure 
of its claws, we may naturally suppose they are used in 
these battles as oifensive weapons, since the bill is ob- 
viously too weak. If this latter fact was ascertained, 
these two opposite genera would possess a habit un- 
known to all others of their respective tribes. The 
similarity between the warblers (Sylviadie), and the 
honeysuckers of New Holland (Mdiphagida.^, is much 
stronger than would at first be imagined : and we ac- 
cordingly find that authors have blended them together. 
To tills day we have the worm-eating warblers ( Fer- 
tnivora), confounded with the genus Dicciim by M. 
Cuvier, and several of the true warblers, put on so 
much the appearance of tenuirostral birds, that even a 
A A 2 
