FLYCATCHERS. 121 



ing its bill into tlie mouth of its offspring and injecting 

 food as though from a syringe. 



Some tropical Hummingbirds have songs worthy the 

 name, but the notes of our Ruby-throat are a mere 

 squeak, sometimes prolonged into a twitter. 



Under any circumstances a Hummingbird's nest ex- 

 cites admiration. But if you would appreciate its fairylike 

 beauty, find one where the birds have placed it, probably 

 on the horizontal limb of a birch. Doubtless it will be 

 occupied by the female, for it seems that the male takes 

 Httle or no part in family affairs after incubation begins. 

 As far as known, all Hummingbirds lay two white e^gs 

 — frail, pearly ellipses, that after fourteen days' incuba- 

 tion develop into a tangle of tiny dark limbs and bodies, 

 which no one would think of calling birds, much less 

 " winged gems." 



PERCHING BIRDS. (ORDER PASSERES.) 



Flycatchers. (Family Tyrannid^.) 



Doubtless, every order of birds has had its day when, 

 if it was not a dominant type, it was at least sufficiently 

 near it to be considered modern ; and as we review what 

 is known to us of that great series of feathered forms, 

 from the Archseopteryx to the Thrushes, we can real- 

 ize how varied has been the characteristic avifauna of 

 each succeeding epoch from the Jurassic period to the 

 present. 



Now has come the day of the order Passeres, the 

 Perching Birds ; here belong our Flycatchers, Orioles, 

 Jays, Sparrows and Finches, Yireos, Swallows, Warblers, 

 "Wrens, Thrushes, and many others. A recent authority 

 edassifies birds in thirty-four orders, but fully one half of 



