upper, and the bill is thus adapted as a tube for sucking, in which, as well as in seizing small insects within the recesses of flowers, the tongue is also a very efficient organ. The tongue is very long, capable of being darted out to a considerable length; the bone of the tongue is much elongated, 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 together for the greater part of their length, and separated at the tip. The wings of humming-birds are very long and powerful, the first quill-feather the longest, and the rest shorter in succession. NESTS, ETC. These diminutive birds construct exquisite nests of shreds of bark, soft grass, or cottony substances. They are placed in a great variety of situations, from a mere saddling upon a branch to an attachment to the tip of 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 invariably two in number, and they are always plain white. The tiny owners are very bold in defense of their nests and young, and are said to strike fearlessly with their needle-like bills at the eyes of birds of prey, which they far surpass in agility and rapidity of flight. They are very easily, however, imbued with confidence in a 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 musical. The skins of humming-birds were employed for ornamental purposes by the more civilized American races before the discovery of America by Europeans, and were used by the Mexicans for making the pictures which excited the admiration of their Spanish conquerors.

EXAMPLES. Within the present space limits it will not be possible to give any adequate description of the various species of hummingbirds, and this article must be confined to mention of the forms illustrated herewith, and to a brief account of the better-known species of the United States. The helmet-crests (Oxypogon) are Andean, and owe their name to their highpointed head ornaments. The coquettes (Lophornis) are small, much ornamented hummers of the Amazon 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 tufted' 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 described as crossing, recrossing, and 'snapping in a marvelous way its long tailfeathers 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.

RUBYTHROAT, ETC. Of the several hummingbirds of the United States, the ruby-throated (Trochilus colubris), is most widespread and familiar. It extends far to the north in summer, and may be found breeding from Florida to Hudson Bay. In winter it retires to subtropical regions, and is found from southern Florida to Central America. It is less than 4 inches long, and the principal color is bright shining green. The throat of the male 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 September. In the Rocky Mountain region of the United States the rubythroat is replaced by the broad-tailed hummer (Selasphorus platycercus), a somewhat larger bronze-green bird with rose-purple throat. On the Pacific Coast the common hummer is the Nootka Sound or rufous humming-bird (Selasphorus rufus), 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 Mexico. The commonest species in California, where it is resident through the year, is Anna's humming-bird (Calypte Anna), a trifle smaller than the rubythroat, and of more exquisite coloration. The male is bronze-green above, with the whole head and throat brilliant purplish or rosered.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. The literature devoted to humming-birds is very extensive, including several hundred titles, but the most important works are: Gould, Monograph of the Trochilida (London, 1861), and Elliot, Synopsis and Classification of the Trochilide (Washington, 1879), while to the American reader, Ridgway, "The Humming Birds" (Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1890, Washington, 1892), is by far the best popular work. See HELMET-CREST; HERMIT HUMMING-BIRD; HILL-STAR; SUN-BIRD.

HUMORESKE, hu'mô-rès'ke (Ger., Dan., from humere, to be moist). Originally a short, from humor, Lat. humor, humor, disposition, humorous tale or sketch, but applied by Schumann to short compositions for the pianoforte in a rather free form, and distinguished by originality in harmonic and rhythmic combinations. HUMORS. See HIPPOCRATES; MEDICINE. HUMPBACK. A rorqual (family Balanopterida) or whalebone whale of the genus Megaptera, 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 (Megaptera longimana) 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 be 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 RORQUAL; WHALE.

HUMPBACKED SALMON. One of the smallest and poorest of the Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). It weighs only