THE lirMMINC.-llIKDS. 289 



Wlu-iv, oil tlu' mii^lity rivc-i- bauk.s. 



La I'latc or Amazon, 

 The cajnian, like a tbix-st tree, 



Lies basking in the sun. 



There builds her nest the hu'inuiiiig-birJ 



"Within the ancient wood, 

 Her nest of silky cotton down, 



And rears her tiny brood. 



She hangs it to a slender twig, 



A\'herc waves it light and free. 

 As the cauipanero* tolls his song. 



And rocks the mighty tree. 



' All crimson is her shining breast, 

 Like to the red, red rose ; 

 Her wiug the cluuigefiil green and blue 



That the neck of the peacock shows. < 



Thou happy, hapi)y humming-bird, 



No winter round thee lowers, 

 Thou never saw'st a leafless tree, 



Nor land without sweet flowers ! 



A reign of summer joyftilness 



To thee for life is given ; 

 Thy food, the honey in the flower. 



Thy driijv, the dew from heaveu. 



How glad the heart of Eve would be, 



In Eden's glorious bowers, 

 When she saw the first first humming-bird 



Among the spicj' flowers ; 



Among the rainbow butterflies, 



Before the rainbow shone. 

 One moment glancing in her sight 



Another moment gone ! 



Thou little shiuing creature, 



God sav'd thee from the flood, 

 AMth eagle of the mountain land. 



And tiger of the wood! " ' 



Who cared to save the elephant. 



He also cared for thee. 

 And gave those broad lands for thy home, 



Where grows the eedar-tree ! 



" Of all animated beings," says BufFoii, " the humming-bird is the most elegant in 

 form and most splendid in eolouring. Precious stones and metals artificially polished, 

 can ne\er be compared to this jewel of nature, which has placed it in the order of birds 

 at the bottom of the scale of magnitude — inaximt iniranda in minimis — while all tlie gifts 

 which are only shared among others — nimbleness, rapidity, sprightlincss, grace, and 

 rich decoration— have been jjrofusely bestowed upon this little favourite. The emerald, 

 the ruby, the topaz, sparkle in its phuuage, which is never soiled by the dust of the 

 ground, for its whole life being aerial, it rarely lights on the turf. It dwells in the air, 

 and flittuig from flower to flower, it seems to be itself a flower in freshness and sjilen- 

 dour ; it feeds on their nectar, and resides in climates where they glow in perpetual 

 succession ; for the few which migrate out ef the tropics during the summer make but a 



* In the extensive wilds of Demcrara, at a distance of nearly three miles, you may hear this snow- 

 white bird tolling every four or five minutes, like the distant convent bell. It is gentrally to be seen 

 r'jiling on the diied top of an aged mora tree. 



U 



