AVES— HUMMING-BIRD. 561 



The smallest humming-bird is about the size of a bee, and weighs no 

 more than twenty grains. The feathers on its wings and tail are violet 

 brown, but those on its body and under its wings are of a greenish brown ; 

 with a fine red cast or gloss, which no silk or velvet can imitate. The bill 

 is black, straight, slender, and of the length of three lines and a half. 



There are almost all colors of these beautiful animals, crimson, green, 

 emerald, white breasted, and spotted. Some of them with and some 

 without crests. The eyes of most of them are very small, and as black 

 as jet. 



It is inconceivable how much these add to the high finishing and beauty 

 of a rich luxurious western landscape. As soon as the sun is risen, the 

 humming-birds of different kinds are seen fluttering about the flowers, with- 

 out even lighting upon them. Their wings are in such rapid motion, that it 

 is impossible to discern their colors, except by their glittering. They are 

 never still, but continually in motion, visiting flower after flower, and ex- 

 tracting its honey. For this purpose they are furnished with a forked tongue, 

 that enters the cup of the flower, and extracts its nectared tribute. Upon 

 this alone they subsist. The rapid motion of their wings brings out a hum- 

 ming sound, whence they have their name. 



The nests of these birds are not less curious than the rest; they are sus- 

 pended in the air, at the point of the twigs of an orange, a pomegranate, or 

 a citron tree ; sometimes, even in houses, if they find a small and convenient 

 twig for the purpose. The female is the architect, while the male goes in 

 quest of materials, such as cotton, fine moss, and the fibres of vegetables. 

 The nest is about the size of a hen's egg cut in two. They lay two eggs 

 at a time, and never more, about the size of small peas, and as white as 

 snow, with here and there a yellow speck. The time of incubation con- 

 tinues twelve days ; at the end of which, the young ones appear, and are 

 much about the size of a bluebottle fly. 



It is a doubt whether or not these birds have a continued note in singing. 

 All travellers agree that, beside the humming noise produced by their wings, 

 they have a little interrupted chirrup ; but Labat asserts, that they have a 

 most pleasing melancholy melody in their voices, though small and propor- 

 tioned to the organs which produce it. It is very probable that, in different 

 places, their notes are also different ; and as there are some that continue 

 torpid all the winter, there may likewise be some with agreeable voices, 

 thougn tne rest may in general be silent. 



Small as the humming-bird is, it has great courage and violent passions. 

 If it find that a flower has been deprived of its honey, it will pluck it off. 

 throw it on the ground, and sometimes tear it to pieces ; and it often fighti 

 with a desperate fury which is astonishing in a creature of such diminutive 

 size. It will even allow a man to come within two yards of it, before it will 

 take to flight. Humming-birds are caught by blowing water on them from 

 a tube, or shooting at them with sand. 

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