210 HUMMING BIRD. 



often stopped, with pleasure, to observe his manoeuvres among the blos- 

 soms of the trumpet flower. When arrived before a thicket of these 

 that are full blown, he poises, or suspends himself on wing, for the space 

 of two or three seconds, so steadily, that his wings become invisible, 

 or only like a mist ; and you can plainly distinguish the pupil of his 

 eye looking round with great quickness and circumspection ; the glossy 

 crolden green of his back, and the fire of his throat, dazzling in the sun, 

 form altogether a most interesting appearance. The position into which 

 his body is usually thrown while in the act of thrusting his slender 

 tubular tongue into the flower, to extract its sweets, is exhibited in the 

 figure on the plate. When he alights, which is frequently, he always 

 prefers the small dead twigs of a tree, or bush, where he dresses and 

 arranges his plumage with great dexterity. His only note is a single 

 chirp, not louder than that of a small cricket or grasshopper, generally 

 uttered while passing from flower to flower, or when engaged in fight 

 with his fellows ; for when two males meet at the same bush, or flower, a 

 battle instantly takes place ; and the combatants ascend in the air, 

 chirping, darting and circling round each other, till the eye is no longer 

 able to follow them. The conqueror, however, generally returns to the 

 place to reap the fruits of his victory. I have seen him attack, and for 

 a few moments tease the King Bird ; and have also seen him in his 

 turn, assaulted by a humble-bee, which he soon put to flight. He is one 

 of those few birds that are universally beloved ; and amidst the sweet 

 dewy serenity of a summer's morning, his appearance among the ar- 

 bors of honeysuckles, and beds of flowers, is truly interesting. 



When morning dawns, and the blest sun, again 

 Lifts his red glories from the Eastern main, 

 Then through our woodbines, wet with glittering dewa, 

 The flower-fed Humming-bird his round pursues ; 

 Sips with inserted tube, the honeyed blooms, 

 And chirps bis gi-atitude as round he roama; 

 While richest roses, though in crimson dresfc, 

 Shrink from the splendor of his gorgeou-s breast ; 

 What heav'nly tints in mingling radiance fiy ! 

 Each rapid movement gives a different dye ; 

 Like scales of burnisbed gold they dazzling show, 

 Now sink to shade — now like a furnace glow t 



The singularity of this little bird has induced many persons to attempt 

 to raise them from the nest, and accustom them to the cage. Mr. Coffer, 

 of Fairfax county, Virginia, a gentleman who has paid great attention 

 to the manners and peculiarities of our native birds, told me, that he 

 raised and kept two, for some months, in a cage ; supplying them with 

 honey dissolved in water, on which they readily fed. As the sweetness 



