HUMMINGBIRDS 



pellqrs disturbed produced two curious effects; all 

 the leaves for several feet beneath the little bird 

 were in violent agitation throughout the perform- 

 ance, fern fronds trembling and scarlet-spotted 

 caladium leaves swaying, while all around me the 

 jungle foliage was motionless. I was surprised to 

 see that the bright rufus color of the under parts 

 of the bird was confined to the throat and breast, 

 forming a small, warm patch of rich pigment. 

 Below this the plumage appeared dark gray, with 

 a confused, blurred effect. Careful scrutiny re- 

 vealed that the wind from the wings was so 

 agitating the feathers of the lower breast and 

 remaining under parts that all the rufus surface 

 was lost. Only the dull hue of the feather bases 

 was visible, while the fluttering feathers themselves 

 added to the strangeness of it all. 



Ever since the shift to an upright position, the 

 lateral pendulum swing had never ceased. The 

 bird swung slowly sideways through the twelve- 

 inch arc, gaining speed when approaching each 

 end, then stopping abruptly with a rise in the hum 

 and a sudden surprising jerk, as if it had brought 

 up against some invisible barrier. The head and 

 body were immovable, but the tail fan shifted so 

 that it faced always toward the female. 



When this had continued for at least five min- 

 utes, the audience rose steadily from her perch, 

 approached and faced her suitor, and he ceased 

 his swinging while they hovered motionless a few 

 inches apart. She darted back and instantly the 



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