88 



An an agent in the fertilization of many deep tubular flowers its services are 

 very valuable. When the Hummers are working among plants bearing blossoms of 

 this kind their foreheads frequently become so covered with white or yellow pollen, 

 as the case may be, that the real colour of the crown feathers is lost. The pollen 

 so gathered is carried from flower to flower and thus fertilization is effected. 



The commonly accepted idea that these birds feed only on the nectar of 

 flowers is erroneous; that they sip some from the blossoms they visit is probably 

 true, for in captivity they are fond of sweetened liquids, but that insects constitute 

 their real food, is proven by examination of the contents of many stomachs. The 

 insects taken are of course very minute, but perhaps none the less harm, ful on that 

 account. 



Humming-'birds appear to be partial to small spiders. Of these I have always 

 found a good many among the stomach contents. In taking these spiders from 

 the base of tubular flowers the Hummers were doing good service to the plants, 

 for should the fertilizing organs in the blossom be covered with spiders web, no 

 pollen could be carried in or out, and so fertilization would be impossible. 



Description. 



Adult male. Upper parts brilliant glossy green ; wings and tail dusky with 

 purplish reflections; throat beauliful metallic ruby red bordered on the breast by 

 whitish; rest of the under parts dusky. 



Adult female. Similar but duller and no red upon the throat. 



L.,. 3.75; W., 1.55; T., 115. 



Nest, on the horizontal branch of a tree. Eggs, two, pure white. 



WARBLERS. 



Warhlers. This family contains a large number of species, among them 

 being some of our brightest colored and most interesting birds, though none of 

 them are remarkable as songsters. They are all entirely insectivorous, and con- 

 sequently of great value from an economic point of view. Thirty-three species are 

 known to occur in this Province; of these se\'en are so rare as to be considered 

 accidental visitors. They are the Prothonotary, the Golden-winged and Hooded 

 Warblers, the Louisiana Water Thrush, the Prairie Warbler, Kirtland's Warbler, 

 and the Yellow-breasted Chat. Probably when they do occur, they remain and 

 breed here. The Cape May, Orange-Crowned, Tennessee, Cerulean, and Con- 

 necticut are regular but uncommon visitors. Of these the Cerulean is known to 

 breed in some localities in southern Ontario, but it is not generally distributed. 



The Parula, Black-throated blue, Myrtle, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Bay- 

 breasted, Black poll. Palm and Wilson's Warblers all pass on to the north before 

 nesting. Just how far they go is difficult to say, but in all probability the 

 majority of them at any rate will be found breedinc^ in the unsettled districts of 

 Muskoka, Algoma, etc., and some even south of that. 



The Black and Avhite, Nashville, Yellow. Chestnut-sided. Pine, Redstart, 

 Black-throated green, Oven bird. Water Thrush, Mourning, Maryland and 

 Canadian Warblers are generally distributed and breed with us in suitable localities 

 and in varying numbers each season, the most familiar of them all being the 

 Yellow Warbler, which habitually raises its young in and about our orchards and 

 shrubberies. All through the summer they are actively engaged in exterminating 



