Chronicles of a Hummingbird Family 201 



fully I discovered it to be that little vixen of a Sparrow standing in the nest 

 tearing out huge billfuls right and left. What an outrage! What will the 

 Humingbird do when she returns and discovers this vandalism? 



She soon appeared, settled on her nest, and began to work as though noth- 

 ing had happened. 



May 12. — This morning, early, before the others were awake, I went out to 

 investigate, and in peeping into the nest discovered an egg. It is pure white and 

 so thin and delicate that it seems translucent. 



May 14. — This morning the nest contained two eggs. 



May 16. — Wishing to make a sketch of her, I stood on a chair, but as I 

 raised up over the nest she flew off and whirred about me. I stood very still and 

 she came back giving me an opportunity to sketch her at close range. 



May 19. — Just a week ago the first egg was laid. She has constantly added 

 to the nest since then, making it noticeably deeper. Today I stood on the chair 

 as before. This time she remained quietly on the nest. The children and their 

 father came also to see our little friend. I had a fancy to try an experiment 

 such as I had read of some bird-lovers doing. Carefully sliding my hand along 

 the limb until I reached the nest, I placed two fingers on her back and stroked 

 her feathers. 



May 28. — This morning I beheld the first little fledgling — a tiny naked 

 object no larger than a honey-bee. The little creature is blackish in color and 

 entirely naked except for eight tiny hairs on each side of its backbone. The 

 head is large and moves from side to side; the bill is yellow and short, and on 

 each side of the head are black skinny knobs for eyes. 



May 29. — Two tiny bits of bird-life are inclosed in the miniature nest — two 

 little babies wabbling their grotesque heads about. I hoped to see them fed 

 when the mother returned, but when she saw me she became nervous and 

 brooded them instead. I walked away, pretending not to notice. She flew 

 to the honeysuckle vines, and I came back quietly. Returning, she alighted 

 on the side of the nest and fed them from her bill by what the naturalists call 

 regurgitation. They opened their bills very wide, and she rammed hers down 

 their throats, ejecting by a convulsive effort partly digested honey and insects 

 from her own throat. I could see only the babies' bills above the rim of the nest. 

 After each had had a morsel, she brooded them in lieu of rocking them to sleep. 



May 31. — It is astonishing how they grow; in two days they have doubled 

 in size. 



June 3. — Their bills are turning black, pin-feathers are showing all over 

 them, and an opening of the eye is visible. 



June 6. — This morning at about 1 1 o'clock was the last time I had noticed 

 the mother bird. Early in the afternoon the children came from upstairs, 

 excitedly calling me to come quickly and see a dead Hummingbird caught 

 in the screen. It must either have been unaware of the screen in its flight, or 

 in an attempt to catch insects had fastened its bill in the meshes. Was this 



