230 NATURAL HISTORY. 



There are an immense number of species of these exquisite 

 birds, varying from the size of a swift to that of a humble bee. 

 Any description of them is impossible they must be seen. 

 Fortunately, the magnificent collection brought to England 

 by that most indefatigable and enterprising naturalist, Mr. 

 Gould, places it in the power of every one to view these living 

 gems in all the attitudes of life, and surrounded with the ap- 

 propriate vegetation. They need nothing but motion. It 

 appears that cold is destructive to the Humming-birds. Wilson 

 says : 



" This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold, and if 

 long deprived of the animating influence of the sunbeams, 

 droops, and soon dies. A very beautiful male was brought 

 me this season, which I put into a wire cage, and placed in a 

 retired shaded part of the room. After fluttering about for 

 some time, the weather being uncommonly cool, it clung by 

 the wires, and hung in a seemingly torpid state for a whole 

 forenoon. No motion whatever of the lungs could be per- 

 ceived on the closest inspection ; though at other times this 

 is remarkably observable ; the eyes were shut, and when 

 touched by the finger it gave no signs of life or motion. I 

 carried it out to the open air, and placed it directly in the 

 rays of the sun in a sheltered situation. In a few seconds 

 respiration became very apparent ; the bird breathed faster 

 and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about with as 

 much seeming vivacity as ever. After it had completely re- 

 covered I restored it to liberty ; and it flew off to the withered 

 top of a pear-tree, where it sat for some time, dressing its 

 disordered plumage, and then shot offlike a meteor."* 



Fear will also produce the same effect, as they have re- 

 peatedly died when caught in a common gauze net, w r hich 

 does not injure even the delicate scales of the butterfly's wing. 

 They are veiy quarrelsome little creatures, and frequently 

 fight with expanded crests and ruffled feathers until they fall 

 exhausted to the ground. 



The nests are very neat and beautiful, and, as may be 

 imagined from the diminutive size of the little architect, exceed- 

 ingly small. They are composed of down, cotton, &c., and are 



* Wilson's Ornithology, vol. ii. p. 30. 



