This splendid family may be considered as the Humming-birds of the old world, inhabiting (I think exclusively) the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. To the personal observations of M. Vaillant we owe the first, and indeed the only detailed account, of their real economy, and which this enterprising ornithologist remarked during his travels in Africa, and published in his work on the birds of that continent; a work which will be valued and consulted when most of the systems framed by closet naturalists will be forgotten. M. Vaillant records a singular fact respecting these birds: which is, that the males only assume their rich and vivid colours during the season of courtship; at other times they are scarcely to be known from the females, whose plumage in general is very plain. Another bird, very nearly resembling this, has been figured by M. Vaillant under the name of _Le Sucrier a Plastron rouge_ (Ois. d'Af. pl. 300.); his reasons, however, for separating them, are, I think, sufficient, at least until more forcible ones are adduced than mere conjecture. Our figure is the size of life; on each side the breast is a tuft of yellow feathers; the back, neck, and head shining golden green, changing in various lights. The female is said to be the _Certhia Capensis_ of Lin., which is greyish brown above, and paler beneath. The different generic names which have been given to these birds by modern systematic writers, require some elucidation. They were originally placed by Linnaeus among the _Certhiae_; out of this genus Illiger formed another by the name of _Nectarinia_, in which he included not only these birds, but many others allied to them. From this genus of Illiger's, Cuvier separated a part under the generic appellation of _Cinnyris_, a genus which comprised those species of Illiger's _Nectarinia_ only which are found in the parallels of latitude of the old world. So far these changes can be understood; but Professor Temminck, without noticing this previous arrangement, places the birds belonging to Cuvier's genus _Cinnyris_, under his own modification of Illiger's _Nectarinia_, while to the _Nectariniae_, as characterized by Cuvier, he gives the generic name of _Coereba_. This last change has introduced great confusion; for the student must bear in mind, that Cuvier's genus _Nectarinia_ corresponds to Temminck's _Coereba_; that _Cinnyris_ of Cuvier is _Nectarinia_ of Temminck; and finally, that all these are included under Illiger's original genus _Nectarinia_! M. Vieillot has still further added to this unfortunate multiplicity of names, by giving that of _Mellisuga_ to Cuvier's _Cinnyris_. This may truly be termed a war of words. In the meantime, as Cuvier was the first who, by giving the name of _Cinnyris_, designated the _Sucriers_ of Vaillant, and those _only_, his definition and generic name to these birds should unquestionably supersede all others. * * * * * Pl. 96 [Illustration] ANODON rugosus,