G4 TiiK W'li.sox Bri-Li'Tix — Xo. 50. 



ON RUBYTHROATS. 



BY CHRESWELL J. HUNT. 



How often does one get even half a look at a Humming- 

 bird ? We see them hover for a moment about some clump of 

 flowers and then like a flash they have vanished — we know not 

 where. Of so diminutive a size and with such marvelous 

 swiftness of wing, is it not a veritable will-o'-the-wisp? 



If we arc so fortunate as tO' find one of the tiny nests we 

 may watch the female caring for the family, for from what has 

 been written it would seem that the femiale is left to shoulder 

 all the domestic cares alone. But after the young are awing 

 and when away from the nest how and where does the Hum- 

 mer spend the time? 



In my field experience how seldom has it been my good 

 fortune to have one of these birds under observation for even 

 ten minutes at a time! Well I remember, when a youthful 

 egg collector, how I was informed by the wise ones that the 

 only way to discover a Hummingbird's nest was to hear the 

 hum made by the wings of the incubating bird. Of course this 

 story should have been relegated to the rubbish heap along 

 with that of straddling Flanimt^oes, etc., but being of a 

 credulous age with much faith in wdiat the elders told me, I 

 w-as led to believe that a hummer's wings were always in 

 motion and it was not until some years afterward when I 

 visited a museum and saw a hummer mounted upon a nest 

 with the wings at rest that I realized the error, for otherwise 

 would not the taxidermist have spread them? But of the 

 Hummer at large, what of him ? How much of his time does 

 he spend in feeding? For how long does he rest, perched 

 upon some twig? Where does he spend the night? Also do 

 not some flowers attract him more than others or more proper- 

 ly does he not find some flowers more profitable feeding- 

 grounds than others? The trumpet vine is said to be a 

 favorite, but Vhat of the others ? These are a few of the 

 questions that I have frequently asked myself and upon which 

 I have tried to throw some light, but my efforts in this 

 direction have been well-nigh fruitless. Whenever we do 



