122 BULLETIN OF THE ESSEX INSTITUTE. 



Hummingbird. Trochihis colubi'is (?). 1786, June 

 10. On examining y*" viscerse I was surprized to find y® 

 heart so large as to be nearly equal in bulk to all y*" other 

 viscerse. The hepatic gland was large in proportion to y® 

 body of y*^ animal. The intestines were remarkably short. 

 The gizzard contained a number of very small insects, 

 partly disolved, y® wings of which remained entire and 

 appeared like those of misquetters. There were some 

 extremely small seeds & a number of shinning particles? 

 of a bright yellow, very minute, & as hard as stones, some- 

 what resembling ising-glass. 



This bird flew into y'^ house at a window, & was caught 

 alive. The greatest pains were taken to preserve it alive. 

 It was put into a small open-worked basket, but suflSciently 

 large for y® bird. It fluttered violently, for some time, 

 from side to side, when it appeared to be languishing & 

 was taken out & set at liberty in y'' room, but it soon 

 died, living only three hours after it was taken. 



Snow flea. Podura nivalis. 1787, Jan. 22. They 

 frequently appear in the winter on the top of y® snow, when 

 y*^ wind comes southerdly & snow gives, after a cold turn. 

 Large spots will sometimes be black with them. They 

 are commonly very sprightly. In woodland they abound 

 most, but are often in y'' high ways, in great multitudes. 

 They appear all at once, generally a little before noon, & 

 disappear towards night — are rarely seen for more than 

 one or two days — sometimes appear on very cold days. 

 I have sometimes seen them in great numl)ers on banks of 

 snow 6 or 8 feet deep, appearing suddenly about 10 or 11 

 o'clock & before night totally disappeared. The common 

 people say they portend a thaw, & that y'' snow is going 

 away, but it is not always the case. I have never known 

 thorn produce y*" least sensation by biting, when continued 

 ever so long on y'" naked legs, &, conclude they do not 



