THE HUMMING-BIRDS. 279 



up to the blossoms again, and sucks, as if it had not moved away 

 at all The figure of the smaller humming-birds on the wing, tlieir 

 rapidity, their arrowy course, and their whole manner of flight, are 

 entirely those of an insect : and one, who has watched the flight of a 

 large beetle, or bee, will have a very good idea of one of these troj^ic 

 gems, painted against the sky." Again he says : " I once witnessed 

 a combat between two mango humming-birds, w^hich was prosecuted 

 w'ith much pertinacity, and protracted to an unusual length. They 

 cliased eacli other through the labyrinth of twigs and flow^ers till, an 

 opportunity occurring, the one would dart with fury upon the other, 

 and then, with a loud rustling of their wings, they would twirl to- 

 gether round and round, until they nearly came to earth. At length 

 an encounter took place pretty close to me, and I perceived that the 

 beak of the one grasped the beak of the other, and, thus fastened, both 

 whirled round and round in their perpendicular descent, till, wlien 

 very near the ground, they separated ; and the one chased the other 

 for about a hundred yards, and then returned in triumph to the tree. 



Fig. 2. 



Mango HuMJiiNG-EinD {LcmixrrAs marUjc).— !. Male; 2. Female. 



Sometimes they w^ould suspend hostilities to suck a few blossoms, but 

 mutual proximity Avas sure to bring them on again, with the same re- 

 sult. In their tortuous and rapid evolutions, the light from their ruby 

 necks would now and then flash in the sun with gem-like radiance. 

 The war lasted fully an hour, and then I was called away from the 

 post of observation." 



When these birds have nests, they defend them ^vith great energy. 

 They wdll attack and drive away any bird, however large, that dis- 

 turbs them, or encroaches upon their territories. Wood says : " It 

 has even been seen to attack the royal eagle itself, and to perch itself 

 upon the head of its gigantic enemy, pecking away with liearty good- 

 will, and scattering the eagle's feathers in a stream, as the affrighted 



