278 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



beat theiusolvos agaitiat tlie sides, fcboiigh tlioy frc(|iioHt!y cliiiiy to (bom. From tbe 

 wild look of several that were alive when arrived, sittiug on the bottom of the cage 

 looking upward, I suspect terror at their capture and novel position had no small 

 influence. Many of those which were found alive were in a dying state, and of those 

 which were turned out into the room several more died in the first "24 hours, gener- 

 ally because, not observing the lines which the domesticated ones used as perches, 

 they would fly against the perpendicular walls, where, after flutteriug awhile sus- 

 pended, they would at length sink exhausted perpendicularly downwards, the wings 

 still vibrating, and alight on the object that intercepted their downward course. If. 

 tills was the floor they would presently rise on the wing, only again to flutter against 

 the wall as before ; but often it would happen that they would sink behind some of 

 the many boxes with which the shelves were lumbered, in •which case, the space 

 being too narrow for the use of their wings, they soon died unobserved, and were 

 found dead only upon searching. This was the fate of many, so that out of the 25 

 only 7 were domesticated. These, however, became quite at home ; and I may here 

 observe that there was much difference in the tempers of individuals, some being 

 moody and sulky, others very timid, and others gentle and confiding from the first. 

 I have noticed this in other birds also. 



Those which survived the longest, however, finally died, and the 

 cause of their death he conjectured to have been the want of insect 

 food, and that, notwithstanding their frequent sipping at the syrup 

 they were really starved to death. He was led to this conclusion by 

 having found, on dissecting those which died, that they were exces- 

 sively meagre in flesh, and that the stomach, which ordinarily is as 

 large as a pea, and distended with insects, was in these shrunken to a 

 minute collapsed membrane. 



Notwithstanding their diminutive size, pugnacity is one*of the most 

 conspicuous traits of Humming Birds. Particularly is this true of the 

 male during the breeding season, when not only are others of the same 

 species which imprudently approach the vicinity of his nest promptly 

 attacked and driven away, but other and much larger birds also ; even 

 King Birds and the boldest hawks beat a precipitate retreat before 

 the impetuous assaults of the tiny warrior, whose boldness is only 

 equalled by the lightniug-like rapidity of his movements, thus baffling 

 any attempt at resistance on the part of the more powerful adversary. 

 Intruders of the human species are not, under such circumstances, 

 always exempt from his vehement attacks, but oftener, perhaps, the 

 little champion is content with mere " skirmishing" demonstrations. 



It is not only when defending their nest or young that Humming 

 Birds display this combative spirit, nor is it confined to the male 

 alone ; for, when two or more individuals, of either sex, happen near 

 the same spot, spirited and often violent conflicts are almost certain to 

 ensue. Such a contest is very accurately and graphically described by 

 a writer in " Forest and Stream " * as follows : 



I was walking aloug one of the streets of this village, and passed by a flower gar- 

 den where a large bed or bush of salvia grew against the front palings. The plant or 

 plants was filled with a great profusion of bright red flowers, some of which reached 



* " Coahoma," in the issue of October 24, 18S9. The species is the common Ruby- 

 throat, and the locality Cambridge, Mississippi. 



