THE HUMMING BIRDS. 163 



whirr of a Humming Bird, and looking up saw a 

 female Polytmus hovering opposite the nest with a 

 mass of silk-cotton in her beak. Deterred by the 

 sight of me, she presently retired- to a twig a few 

 paces distant, on which she sat. I immediately sunk 

 down among the rocks as gently as possible, and re- 

 mained perfectly still. In a few seconds she came 

 again, and after hovering a moment disappeared be- 

 hind one of the projections, whence in a few seconds 

 she emerged again, and flew off. I then examined 

 the place, and found to my delight a new nest in all 

 respects like the old one, but unfinished, affixed to 

 another twig not a yard from it. I again sat down 

 among the stones in front, where I could see the nest, 

 notconcealing myself, but remaining motionless, wait- 

 ing for the bird's reappearance. I had not to wait 

 long : a loud whirr, and there she was, suspended in 

 the air before the nest. She soon espied me, and 

 came within a foot of my eyes, hovering just in front 

 of my face. I remained still, however, when I heard 

 the whirring of another just above me, perhaps the 

 mate ; but I durst not look toward him, lest the turn- 

 ing of my head should frighten the female. In a 

 minute or two the other was gone, and she alighted 

 again on the twig, where she sat some little time 

 preening her feathers, and apparently clearing her 

 mouth from the cotton fibres, for she now and then 

 swiftly projected the tongue an inch and a half from 

 the beak, continuing the same curve as that of the 

 beak. When she arose it was to perform a very in- 



