Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 10.djvu/362

* HUMMING-BIRD. 314 HUMPBACKED SALMON. upper, anil the bill is thus adiipti'd a.i a tiibo fur sucking, in which, as well us in seizing; ^<nlall insects within the recesses of llowers, the tongue is ulso a very ellicient organ. The tongue is very long, capable of being darted out to a con- siderable length : the bone of the tongue is much clongiited, and its branches pass round the back of the skull to the forehead, where they meet in a point before the line of the eyes. The tongue itself consists of two filaments, joined togetjier for the greater part of their h'ngtli. and sepa- rated at the tip. The wings of hummingbirds are very long and powerful, the llrst-quillfeather the longest, and the rest shorter in succession. Nksts, etc. These diminutive birds construct exquisite nests of shreds of bark, s(jft grass, or cottony substances. They are placed in a great variety of j-itiiationS; from a mere saddling upon a branch to an attaclinieiit to the tip cjf a pendent and swaying leaf or tendril; and often the exterior is made almost invisible by having a coating of lichens or something else allying it closely to its background. The eggs are invari- ably two in number, and they are always plain white. The tiny owners are very bold in defense of their nests and young, and arc said to strike fearlessly with their needle-like bills at the eyes of birds of l>rey, which they far surpass in agility and rapidity of (light. They are very easily, ho«evcr. imbued with confidence in .1 person with whom they are familiar, and have been known to return again in spring, after a winter migration to a warmer climate, to the window from which they had been allowed to escape. Attempts to keep them in confinement have generally failed, and few have ever been carried alive across the .Atlantic. Most of the hummers have no song, their only notes being querulous squeaks of wrath or fear. A few of the tropical forms, nevertheless, are said to be slightly nnisical. The skins of humming-birds were employed for ornamental purposes by the more civiliEcd American races before the dis- covery of America by Europeans, an<l were iised by the Mexicans for making the pictures which excited flic admiration of their Spanish con- querors. Examples. Within the present space limits it will not he possible to give any adequate description of the various species of humming- birds, and this article must be confined to men- tion of the forms illustrated herewith, and to a brief account of the better-known species of the United States. The helmct-ercsts (Oxypogon) are .Andean, and owe their name to their high- pointed head ornaments. The coquettes (Lo- phornis) are small, much ornanienied hummers of the .■ iai;on region, and are easily recognized by their fan-like crests, and by the spangled frills on each side of the neck. They are numerous and well scattered in South .America, where one of the most beautiful is the 'tnfteil' coquette of the island of Trinidad and the adjacent mainland. The racket-tailed hummer (Steganura), whose home is a limited region near the head of the Amazon, is among the smallest and most extraordinary of these birds; and is descritwd as crossing, recrossing, and 'snapping* in a marvelous way its long tail- feathers in the air. as it darts about, especially when a rival male is near. The long-tailed species of the genus -Aithurus are West Indian; the one figured is a denizen of Jamaica. RuBVTliROAT, ETC. Of the several humming- birds of the United States, the ruby-throated (Trochilua colubris), is must widespread and familiar. It extemls far to the north in summer, and may be found breedimr from Florida to Hudson Hay. In winter it retires to subtropical regions, and is found from soullierii Florida to Central .America, it is less than 4 inches lou'j. and the principal color is bright shining green. The throat of the nnilc is a beautiful metallic ruby-red. This exquisite bird arrives in the Northern United States early in May, with the opening of the cherry-blossoms, and goes south late in August or early in Scptcndx'r. In the Hocky ^Mountain region of the United States the rubythroat is replaced by the broad-tailed hum- mer (Sclasphorus plntyccrcus). a s<miewliat larger bronze-green bird with rose-purple throat. On the I'acitic Coast the connnon hinnmer is the Xootka Sound or rufous hummingbird iSclas- pltunis riifux), about the size of the rubythroat, but deep rufous above, with the throat brilliant scarlet. It is notable for its occurrence as far north as Nootka Sound, Alaska, but it winters in Jlexico. The commonest speties in California, where it is resident through the year, is Anna's humming-bird (Calnptr Aiinn), a Irifie smaller than the rubythroat, and of more exquisite colora- tion. The male is bronze-green above, with the whole head and throat brilliant purplish or rose- red. BlliuouKAPllY. The literature devoted to hum- ming-birds is very extensive, including .several hundred titles, but the most important works are: Gould, Monoriraph of the Trochilidw ( L<m- don, 1801). and Elliot, Synopsis uml ('laKsi/trii- tion of the Trochilidw ( Washin!:rton, IS"!)), while to the American reader. Ridgway. "The Hum- ming Birds" (.liiiiHo/ Urport of the Smithsoninn hiHlilntion for ISOO, Washington, 18!t2), is by far the best popiilar work. See IFki.met-Chk.sT; Hkrmjt llr.MMi.Mi-Biuo: LIim.-St.vH; Su.v-Bird. HUMORESKE. hn'm-Vrr-sTcc (Ger., Dan., from htiiiior. Eat. humor, humor, disposition, from hiitnrre, to be moist). Originally a short, humorous tale or sketch, but applied by .Schu- mann to short compositions for the pianoforte in a rather free form, and distinguished by orig- inality in harmonic and rhythmic combinations. HUMORS. See niprocR.TK.<; ; M>niiciNE. HUMPBACK. .A rorqual (family lialicnop- teriihe) or whalebone whale of the genus ile- gaptera, in which the dorsal fin forms a lump upon the back. It is found in all seas, often reaches a length of 50 feet, and sometimes much more: is thick and ungainly, and yields fifty or more barrels of oil. The baleen is short and of poor quality. This whale ( Mcf/nplcra lotifli- inana) is recognizable at a long distance by its lolling, irregular manner of swimming, and at the mating .season pairs indulge in antics highly amusing because of their size and uncouthness. They strike each other with their long flippers, and these love-pat caresses may he heard miles away. It is believed that in these performances originated the stories current about the attack of the whale by the thresher shark, which, as a matter of fact, could not injure such an opponent. See TJoRQiAi. : Whale. HUMPBACKED SALMON. One of the smallest and poorest of the Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). It weighs only