Notes from Field and Study 



383 



eating, it raised its head and looked around 

 the room, then ruffled its feathers and 

 settled down to enjoy the warm atmos- 

 phere. 



I kept the little fellow for ten days, 

 feeding it about twenty times a day. It 

 was so tame, from the first, that I turned 

 it loose in my office among the flowers, 

 giving it the freedom of two large rooms. 

 When it became hungry, it would let me 

 know by giving a peculiar squeak, the 

 sound being very much like that made by 



a mouse, only more shrill. If I did not go 

 to it at once, it would fly to me at my 

 desk, and flutter around my face or light 

 on my hand, and dart its tongue out 

 the same as when feeding among the 

 flowers. 



It was so tame that I sent it to the 

 schools, so that the teachers could use it 

 in their nature study work. 



It seemed to enjoy having its back 

 stroked, and would sit perfectly still as 

 long as one would stroke the back of its 



4 



^ 



A PET RUBY-THROAT 



