. 168 HABITS OF BIRDS. 
nest, I judged from those weighed that each feed 
was a quarter of a grain upon an average; so tha‘ 
each young one was supplied with eighteen grains 
weight in a day; and as the young ones weighed 
about seventy-seven grains at the time they began 
to perch, they consumed nearly their weight of food 
in four days’ time at that time. This extraordinary 
consumption seems absolutely requisite in animals 
of such rapid growth. The old birds of this species 
weigh from eighty to ninety grains. I could always 
perceive, by the animation of the young brood, when 
the old one was coming ; probably some low note 
indicated her approach, and in an instant every 
mouth was open to receive the insect morsel. But 
there appeared no regularity in the supply given by 
the parent bird; sometimes the same was fed two 
or three times successively, and I generally ob- 
served that the strongest got most, being able to 
reach farthest, the old one delivering it to the 
mouth nearest to her.” 
It would be easy for us to extend this chapter to 
a much greater length by similar anecdotes, but 
we shall only add one more respecting one of the 
humming-birds (Trochilide), mentioned by M. La- 
bat, premising that we have no means of ascertain- 
ing the particular species meant. It being found 
extremely difficult, if not impossible, to breed the 
young humming-birds, endeavours have been made 
to rear them by taking advantage of the natural 
affection of the parents for their offspring. Our 
author records an instance of such an experiment: 
‘“T showed,” says he, “a nest of humming-birds to 
Father Montdidier, which was placed on a shed 
near the house. He carried it off with the young, 
when they were about fifteen or twenty days old, 
and put them in a cage at his room window, where 
the cock and hen continued to feed them, and grew 
so tame that they scarcely ever left the room; and 
though not shut in the cage, nor subjected to any 
