PDF - Wallace Online
PDF - Wallace Online PDF - Wallace Online
IVHUMMING-BIRDSAS ILLUSTEATING THE LUXURIANCE OF TROPICAL NATUREStructure Colours and Ornaments Descriptive Names The Motionsand Habits of Humming-birds Display of Ornaments by the MaleFood Nests Geographical Distribution and Variation Hummingbirdsof Juan Fernandez as illustrating Variation and Natural SelectionThe Relations and Affinities of Humming-birds How to Determinedoubtful Affinities Resemblances of Swifts and Humming-birdsDifferences between Sun-birds and Humming-birds Conclusion.THERE are now about ten thousand different kinds of birdsknown to naturalists, and these are classed in one hundredand thirty families, which vary greatly in extent, some containinga single species only, while others comprise manyhundreds. The two largest families are those of the warblers,with more than six hundred, and the finches with more thanfive hundred species, spread over the whole globe ;the hawksand the pigeons, also spread over the whole globe, numberabout three hundred and thirty and three hundred and sixtyspecies respectively while the diminutive ; humming-birds,confined to one hemisphere, consist of about four hundreddifferent species. They are thus, as regards the number ofdistinct kinds collected in a limited area, the most remarkableof all the families of birds. It may, however, very reasonablybe asked, whether the four hundred species of humming-birdsabove alluded to are really all distinct as distinct on theaverage as the ten thousand species of birds are from eachother. We reply that they certainly are perfectly distinctspecies, which never intermingle ;and their differences do notconsist in colour only, but in peculiarities of form, of structure,
HUMMING-BIRDS 313and of habits ;so that they have to be classed in more than ahundred distinct genera or systematic groups of species, thesegenera being really as unlike each other as stonechats andnightingales, or as partridges and blackcocks. The figures wehave quoted, as showing the proportion of birds in general tohumming-birds, thus represent real facts ;and they teach usthat these small and in some respects insignificant birds constitutean important item in the animal life of the globe.Humming-birds are, in many respects, unusually interestingand instructive. They are highly peculiar in form, in structure,and in habits, and are quite unrivalled as regards varietyand beauty. Though the name is familiar to every one, fewbut naturalists are acquainted with the many curious facts inafford fortheir history, or know how much material theyadmiration and study. It is proposed, therefore, to give abrief and popular account of the form, structure, habits, distribution,and affinities of this remarkable family of birds, asillustrative of the teeming luxuriance of tropical nature, andas throwing light on some of the most interesting problems ofnatural history.StructureThe humming-birds form one compact family namedThey are all small birds, the largest known beingTrochilidse.about the size of a swallow, while the smallest are minutecreatures, whose bodies are hardly larger than a humble-bee.Their distinguishing features are excessively short legs andfeet, very long and pointed wings, a long and slender bill,and a long extensible tubular tongue; and these characters arefound combined in no other birds. The feet are exceedinglysmall and delicate, often beautifully tufted with down, and soshort as to be hardly visible beyond the plumage. The toesare placed as in most birds, three in front and one behind,and have very strong and sharply curved claws ;and the feetserve probably to cling to a perch rather than to give anymovement to the body. The wings are long and narrow, butstrongly formed and the first ;quill is the longest, a peculiarityfound in hardly any other birds but a few of the swifts. Thebill varies greatlyin length, but is always long, slender, andpointed, the upper mandible being the widest and lapping
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HUMMING-BIRDS 313and of habits ;so that they have to be classed in more than ahundred distinct genera or systematic groups of species, thesegenera being really as unlike each other as stonechats andnightingales, or as partridges and blackcocks. The figures wehave quoted, as showing the proportion of birds in general tohumming-birds, thus represent real facts ;and they teach usthat these small and in some respects insignificant birds constitutean important item in the animal life of the globe.Humming-birds are, in many respects, unusually interestingand instructive. They are highly peculiar in form, in structure,and in habits, and are quite unrivalled as regards varietyand beauty. Though the name is familiar to every one, fewbut naturalists are acquainted with the many curious facts inafford fortheir history, or know how much material theyadmiration and study. It is proposed, therefore, to give abrief and popular account of the form, structure, habits, distribution,and affinities of this remarkable family of birds, asillustrative of the teeming luxuriance of tropical nature, andas throwing light on some of the most interesting problems ofnatural history.StructureThe humming-birds form one compact family namedThey are all small birds, the largest known beingTrochilidse.about the size of a swallow, while the smallest are minutecreatures, whose bodies are hardly larger than a humble-bee.Their distinguishing features are excessively short legs andfeet, very long and pointed wings, a long and slender bill,and a long extensible tubular tongue; and these characters arefound combined in no other birds. The feet are exceedinglysmall and delicate, often beautifully tufted with down, and soshort as to be hardly visible beyond the plumage. The toesare placed as in most birds, three in front and one behind,and have very strong and sharply curved claws ;and the feetserve probably to cling to a perch rather than to give anymovement to the body. The wings are long and narrow, butstrongly formed and the first ;quill is the longest, a peculiarityfound in hardly any other birds but a few of the swifts. Thebill varies greatlyin length, but is always long, slender, andpointed, the upper mandible being the widest and lapping