INTRODUCTION,

errr eee,

Tue questions have often been asked, whence is the term Humming-Bird derived, and why is the bird so
called. I may state in reply that, owing to the rapid movement of the wings of most of the members of
this group, but especially of the smaller species, a vibratory or humming sound is produced while the bird
is in the air, which may be heard at the distance of several yards, and that it is from this circumstance
that the trivial name by which these birds are known in England has arisen. In France they are recognized
by the terms Ocseau-mouche and Colibri; in Germany their common appellation is Koldri ; by the Dutch
they are called Kohédriele; by the Spaniards Pica flores and Tomino ; by the Portuguese Tomeneco and
Beyaflor ; in the neighbourhood of Xalapa they are known by the names of Chupa-rosa and Chupa-myrta,
Rose-sucker and Myrtle-sucker ; by the Creoles of the Antilles and Guiana they are known by the names
of Murmures, Bourdons, and Frou-frous. From the Mexicans, Peruvians, and other nations of South
America they have received various appellations, such as Ourissza, Auitentzdl, tsitztototl, guanumbi, quinti or
quintiut, gquinde, visicilin, pigda, and courbiri,—all terms of a metaphorical character, signifying “‘ rays of the

sun,” * tresses of the day-star,” “ murmuring birds,” &c.

Linneus applied to the whole of the species known to him the generic appellation of Zrochilus (a name
given by the ancients to some fabulous little bird), whence is derived the family designation ‘Tro-
cHiLip&. By Brisson, a contemporary of Linneus, the terms Polytmus and Mellisuga were proposed ; but
with respect to some of the thirty-six species described by him, as well as by the older writers such as Seba,
Marcegrave, Willughby, Ray, &c., it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to determine what they really
were. We may, however, fairly commence our investigations with a greater chance of accuracy from the
date when the great Swedish naturalist commenced his labours. By him twenty-two species were enumerated
in the twelfth edition of his < Systema Nature.’ In Gmelin’s, or the thirteenth edition, the list is increased
to sixty-seven. Of these I have determined about two-thirds; the remainder must for ever continue
involved in mystery, and their names be erased from our scientific works—the descriptions being extremely
meagre, and the synonyms occasionally referring to figures of very different species. In some instances,
even, the species are attributed to countries where Humming-Birds are never found ; while in others, such
as that of the Harlequin Humming-Bird, the characters are taken from a plate which must have been drawn
from imagination and not from any real specimen. These are a few of the difficulties which a naturalist
has to encounter when access to the types cannot be obtained. I think it necessary to make this statement

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