. Natural history. Zoology. 34S AVES—SUB-ORDER Fig. HuMMING-BlKD. number, while the secondaries are only six. The first primary-quill is some- times attenuated {Atthls, Aglceactis, etc.), while in some genera, such aa ^ylopterus, the shafts of the primaries are broad and stiffened. The tail is of various shapes, sometimes square, sometimes rounded, or, as in the genus Phcethornis, graduated, with the two central rectrices elongated and pointed. Many genera have forked tails, with the outer tail-feather elongated, especi- ally in the male. The racket-tailed humming-birds have a fork
. Natural history. Zoology. 34S AVES—SUB-ORDER Fig. HuMMING-BlKD. number, while the secondaries are only six. The first primary-quill is some- times attenuated {Atthls, Aglceactis, etc.), while in some genera, such aa ^ylopterus, the shafts of the primaries are broad and stiffened. The tail is of various shapes, sometimes square, sometimes rounded, or, as in the genus Phcethornis, graduated, with the two central rectrices elongated and pointed. Many genera have forked tails, with the outer tail-feather elongated, especi- ally in the male. The racket-tailed humming-birds have a forked tail, with the outer rectrix ending in a spatule or racket. In some genera, like the shear-tails {Tliaumastura) or the stars (Gtuetocercus), all the tail-feathers are pointed and spine-like, and in the king humming-birds (Topaza), the central feathers are elongated and curved, crossing each other at the same time. The most remarkable; however, of all the humming-birds, as regards its tail, is Loddigesia mirahilis from the Upper Amazons. In the female and young male, ten rectrices are present as usual, but in the adult male there are only four, a very small pair in the middle, and an elongated pair on the outside, which cross each other and end in a " boss " or "; Some of the upper tail-coverts are so lengthened that they appear to be part of the tail. The flight of humming-birds is more hke that of a hawk-moth than that of an actual bird, for the little creatures hover in front of a flower, suspended, as it were, in the air, with their wings vibrating so rapidly as to appear simjjy like a film. Their food consists of the tiniest insects, and in the case of the sword-bill hummer (Docimastes ensiferus) the bill is elongated to an enormous proportion, so that the bird is able to probe long tubular flowers for its food. The nest of the humming-birds is always beautiful, and is generally composed of the down of plants, felted, and covered with spiders
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