The Food of Birds 



163 



the greater part of the year feed upon larvse and insects, 

 but grapes, figs, and other soft fruits are eagerly devoured. 

 They catch locusts and flying ants and occasionally devour 

 the young of small birds. When their travels take them 

 near the seashore they search the seaweed for snails 

 and shrimps, and one of the greatest delicacies is the 



Fig. 125.— Moth and Hummingbird. Both half natural size. 



fruit of the syringa-tree, ''on which they sometimes gorge 

 themselves until they are no longer capable of flight, . . . 

 affected by some narcotic property of the berry itself." 



This state of semi-intoxication is by no means rare 

 among fruit-eating birds, when over-ripe or fermented 

 fruit is abundant. 



