HUMMERS. 153 



the cup and hung down over the sides. When 

 the small builder came, she hovered over it a few 

 seconds before making up her mind how it got 

 there and what she had better do about it. Then 

 she calmly lit on top of it ! Part of it went off 

 as she did so, but the rest she appropriated, 

 fastening: in the loose ends with the cobweb she 

 had brought. 



She often gave a little squeaky call when on 

 the nest, as if talking to herself about her work. 

 When going off for material she would dart 

 away and then, as if it suddenly occurred to her 

 that she did not know where she was going, would 

 stop and stand perfectly still in the air, her vibrat- 

 ing wings sustaining her till she made up her 

 mind, when she would shoot off at an angle. It 

 seemed as if she would be worn out before night, 

 but her eyes were bright and she looked vigorous 

 enough to build half a dozen houses. 



" There 's odds in folks," our great-grand- 

 mothers used to say; and there certainly is in 

 bird folks ; even in the ways of the same one at 

 different times. Now this hummingbird was con- 

 tent to build right in front of my eyes, and the 

 hummer down at the little lover's tree, with her 

 first nest, was so indifferent to Billy and me that 

 I took no pains to keep at a distance or disguise 

 the fact that I was watching her. But when her 

 nest was destroyed she suddenly grew old in the 

 ways of the world, and apparently repented having 



