THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 113 



distance of several rods ; up they mount, rushing against 

 and striking each other with their sharp little bills, until 

 they are both lost to the sight : presently our acquaintance 

 descends to the twig where his mate is seated, and struts 

 before her with a pride much larger than his body, ap- 

 parently anxious for her approval of his courage. She 

 caresses him ; and, after he has adjusted his plumage, otf 

 they shoot for other scenes and pleasures.^ 



About the first week in June, the Humming-bird com- 

 mences buildhig its nest : tliis is composed of a soft down, 

 that is taken from the stems of some of the ferns ; it is 

 covered entirely with lichens, which are glued on witli the 

 saliva of the bird, giving it the appearance of a mossy knot. 

 It is usually built on the upper side of a limb ; but I have 

 known of cases of its being built in a forked twig. The 

 whole fabric is about an inch and a half in diameter, and 

 about that in depth externally ; it is hollowed about half an 

 inch, and is three-fourths of an inch in diameter internally; 

 it is lined with soft, downy substances detached from flying- 

 seeds. The eggs are two in number, white, and nearly 

 elliptical in shape, being of about equal size at both ends. 

 Length of eggs, about .45 inch ; breadth, about .31 inch. I 

 am inclined to think, that, in the latitude of New England, 

 this bird raises only one brood in the season ; but further 

 south it undoubtedly rears two. The period of incubation 

 is ten days. 



On approaching the nest, the parent bird immediately 

 flies at the intruder ; and it was by this means that I have 

 been enabled to find specimens of the nests, when I could 

 not possibly have done so if their locality had not been 

 betrayed by the bird herself. I have heard of young birds 

 being taken from the nest when nearly fledged, kept for 

 several weeks, and fed with nothing but sweetened water ; 



1 I had written this incident before I noticed the similar one given by Wilson. I 

 will let it remain, however, because it is an instance of scenes common in the life 

 of this bird. 



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