FAMILY Trochilidz. 
the Mississippi. This is our own little Ruby-throat, and 
he is comparatively small beside the largest and most 
magnificent species recently discovered in Arizona, 
named Eugenes fulgens. This splendid ‘‘ hummer” is 
about six inches long! The smaller species fly so swiftly 
that their wings are lostin a ‘‘ humming ” mist encircling 
the little body ; but the wings of the larger species move 
with sufficient moderation for the eye to detect the 
beats. The remarkable gorget (the name of the Hum- 
mingbird’s ruby collar) is, under a magnifying glass, a 
resplendent blaze of color 
Ruby-throated This is the only Hummingbird of east- 
Hummingbird orn North America. His range is from 
ee ae Labrador to Florida. So charming a little 
L. 3.70 inches Creature, devoid of music, needs none of 
May 15th it, because he is a veritable symphony in 
color, a harmony of metallic greens and browns and 
ruby-red. The upper parts are shining green modified 
by brownish shadows; wings and tail brown with 
purplish side-lights; throat a lustrous ruby-red mar- 
gined with white-gray at the breast; under parts 
dusky gray. The male in autumn almost lacks the 
ruby-red ; in the female it is altogether wanting, and 
the tail has a more rounded contour. Nest, a curious 
little structure built of plant down and fibres, covered 
on the outside with lichens which closely match in 
colors the limb on which it is fastened. It has, in fact, 
all the appearance of a knot belonging to the branch. 
The two pure white eggs are about half an inch long. 
The mother-bird feeds her young by the process of regur- 
gitation ; the food is largely made up of tiny insects. 
The only note which the Hummingbird possesses is a 
tiny squeak without definite tone. He utters the sound 
frequently while he is at work probing the flowers in the 
garden, as though he were afraid of capture. It is 
plainly a note of caution, meaning, possibly, ‘‘ Look out 
now ; don’t attempt to catch me by the tail while my 
head is buried in this morning-glory!” The bird is so 
remarkably fearless, though, that I doubt very much 
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